The entry list of the Giro d’Italia, which will start on 4 May from Venaria Reale, has been announced today. As in 2023, it will be Rome that will celebrate the winner of the Trofeo Senza Fine.
The challenge for the Maglia Rosa
The big favourite to win the general classification is Tadej Pogacar. Number 1 in the UCI World Ranking, the Slovenian is making his debut in the Corsa Rosa after a triumphant start to the season that saw him win seven times out of a total of ten days of racing. His main rival will be Geraint Thomas, who in 2023 wore the Maglia Rosa until the penultimate stage. The Welshman will again have at his side Thymen Arensman, 6th in last year’s edition and one of the biggest favourites for the Maglia Bianca. Among the riders who finished in the final top 10 last year will also be at the start Damiano Caruso, (4th) and Eddie Dunbar (7th). Returning to the Giro with ambitions will be Romain Bardet, second at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Ben O’ Connor, winner of a stage and runner-up at the UAE Tour, Daniel Felipe Martinez, three wins in the season, Juan Pedro Lopez, winner of the Tour of the Alps, and the Maglia Rosa of the 2014 edition Nairo Quintana. Among the most awaited debutants, also with an eye over the Maglia Bianca, are Cian Uijtdebroeks, 8th at the Vuelta a España 2023, and Antonio Tiberi, who has achieved some good results this season at the Volta a Catalunya and Tour of the Alps.
The Sprinters
Many fast men are awaited at the start of the Corsa Rosa, starting with the Maglia Ciclamino of 2023, Jonathan Milan, who confirmed his strenght by winning two stages and the points classification of Tirreno-Adriatico. Among the sprinters already capable of winning at the Giro d’Italia, are Caleb Ewan (5 wins), Fernando Gaviria (5), Alberto Dainese (2), Kaden Groves (1), Biniam Girmay (1), and Tim Merlier (1). Making their debut in the Corsa Rosa are Fabio Jakobsen, 46 career victories including 6 in the Grand Tours, and two young sprinters who have made a name for themselves as Olav Kooij, 4 seasonal victories, and Laurence Pithie, winner of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race and 7th in the Paris-Roubaix. Phil Bauhaus, Sam Welsford, Juan Sebastian Molano and Enrico Zanoncello complete the list of sprint contenders.
The stage hunters
21 stages equal 21 different chances to enter into the history books of the Corsa Rosa. The field of pretenders for the stage wins is wide and varied, starting with Filippo Ganna, six-time stage winner and big favourite in the time trials. The former World Champion will have to contend with rivals such as Mikkel Bjerg, Tobias Foss, Magnus Sheffield, Edoardo Affini, Ethan Vernon, and new entry Lorenzo Milesi, winner of the world title among the Under-23s. Two-time World Champion Julian Alaphilippe and current European Champion Cristophe Laporte both aim to leave their mark in the Corsa Rosa. In the more hilly fractions, climbers such as Hugh Carthy, Esteban Chaves,Jan Hirt, Lorenzo Fortunato, Michael Woods, Einer Rubio, Filippo Zana, Koen Bouwman, Maximilian Schachmann, Aurélien Paret-Peintre, Giulio Pellizzari, Domenico Pozzovivo, Mauri Vansevenant, Michael Storer, Max Poole, Lucas Plapp, Davide Piganzoli and Wout Poels will be looking for glory. The list of riders to watch include Matteo Trentin, Jasper Stuyven, Quinten Hermans, Andrea Bagioli, Jan Tratnik, Andrea Vendrame, Lilian Calmejane, Davide Ballerini, Simone Velasco, Simon Clarke, Stefano Oldani, Benjamin Thomas and Alessandro De Marchi.
