Giro d’Italia 2015 preview
Giro d’Italia 2015 preview
Photography by: BrakeThrough Media and Tim de Waele
The toughest race in the world’s most beautiful place. That’s the Giro d’Italia’s tagline these days, and the superlatives are appropriate. Everyone loves the Giro — the racers love it, even when it’s raining and cold; the fans, or tifosi in Italian, are rabid for it.
This year’s edition promises a tight contest between the GC rider of his generation, Alberto Contador, and a crop of up-and-coming riders and super domestiques, many let off leash by their teams for the first time, each determined to take the Tinkoff-Saxo rider down.
Contador’s goal of winning both the Giro and the Tour de France in the same year complicates his effort, and plays into his opponent’s hands.
The Giro, then, will be what it always is: wild, unpredictable, and beautiful.
Orica-GreenEdge, winners of last year’s opening TTT, are the favorites to do so again. BMC and Etixx-Quick-Step are bringing a crew of strong time trialists, though, and could surprise the Aussie squad.
The race then heads south, through a series of rolling and flat stages. Stage 7 will be the last opportunity for the sprinters until the finish in Milan — don’t be surprised if some choose to exit the race at this point.
Stage 16, the Mortirolo: The tough finish in Aprica on stage 16, the day after the rest day, could prove decisive. That stage also includes the fearsome Mortirolo, topping out just 34km from the finish line. The race will explode.
Stage 20, dirt road climbing: The penultimate stage includes the Cima Coppi, or highest point of the race, as it passes over the rough dirt of the Colle delle Finestre before finishing atop Sestriere. If the GC battle is not already decided, this is the last day to make something happen.
Richie Porte (Team Sky): On paper, Porte should be the heavy favorite. Based purely on springtime results, he has the best legs of 2015. He won the Giro del Trentino, won the Volta Catalunya, and won Paris-Nice. But he’s struggled to put together three full weeks of racing in the past — a one-week stage race is not the same as a grand tour. Nonetheless, he’s the most credible challenger to Contador.
Rigoberto Urán (Etixx-Quick-Step): He’s been on the podium both of the last two years, and can certainly get there again. He’d need an exceptional ride in the long time trial to pull one over on Porte and Contador, but nothing is impossible. It’s thanks to that long TT that Uran’s podium potential is at an all-time high — he’s been getting better against the clock every year and is the Colombian national champion in the discipline.
Fabio Aru (Astana): Italy’s great hope comes in the form of the spindly Aru, perhaps the best pure climber in the race. Is there enough vertical in the Giro for him to overcome the deficit he’s sure to incur in the long time trial? Well, this is the Giro: Of course there is. If Aru is on form, he could chip away at the others on every mountaintop finish and surprise the world.
Aru had a stomach virus earlier in the spring, and missed out on the valuable training he was hoping to find at the Giro del Trentino and Tour de Romandie. His form, at this point, is an unknown.[vc_text_separator title=”Darkhorse Picks” title_align=”separator_align_center” color=”grey”]Damiano Caruso (BMC) has the class, and this year he comes to the race with the full might of BMC racing behind him. The team will do well in the team time trial, and he can climb with the best when on form.
Domenico Pozzivivo (Ag2r La Mondiale), all 117 pounds of him, is always one of the best climbers in the race. He can time trial surprisingly well, too. He was fifth last year, and the podium is within reach this May.
