Less than a week from the start of the 107th edition of Tour of Italywhich will start on Saturday 4 May from Turin, the time has come to present the main ranking men who will battle for 21 days on Italian roads. Although the starting list is not yet official and the presentation of the teams will be held on Thursday evening at 8.30pm at the Valentino Park, the main riders who are betting strongly on the Corsa Rosa this year have been known for months, in the hope of obtaining the best possible result in the general classification. Here’s the review.
Here are the main ranking men of the 2024 Giro d’Italia
Tadej Pogacar
Every presentation is superfluous for the Slovenian champion who is the sole favorite to win this Giro. Given the amazing form shown in the spring and the absence of credible rivals, there are those who dare to think of 21 days in the pink jersey for Tadej, but it is better to be cautious about this hypothesis. As the GM of the UAE Mauro Gianetti, it is good that Pogacar arrives at the end of the Giro with energy left to attempt the double with the Tour de France, thus suggesting that a tactic aimed only at spectacle and trying to win as many stages as possible could be counterproductive. In any case, he will be the star on which all eyes will be focused for at least half of the stages.
Geraint Thomas
Years pass, but the 37-year-old Welshman continues to be a solid and reliable grand tour rider, as demonstrated with last year’s great performance. The many time trial kilometers could help himas well as the presence of a Ineos strong and suitable to support him on all terrains. His approach to the pink race hasn’t been exciting, but it’s a safe bet that “mister G” will show up at the start from Turin in ideal condition.
Romain Bardet
The former child prodigy Frenchman is now 34 years old, but Bardet seems rejuvenated by the change of team and programs, experiencing a sort of second youth in the DSM house. His recent second place in the Liège-Bastogne-Liège testifies to an excellent condition, and in his training they strongly believe in the possibility of obtaining a podium the final. If the time trials could represent an obstacle, we expect to see him often attacking uphill.
Thymen Arensman
The Dutch of Ineos Grenadiers officially leaves with the degrees of Thomas’ lieutenanteven if in fact it is at least a vice-captain. Arensman is a one-and-done ranking man, who has everything it takes to improve on last year’s sixth place, being able to exploit this “underdog” condition as a weapon against themselves. Furthermore, he is the main favorite for the Maglia Bianca as best youngster.
Daniel Martinez
The Colombian of Bora-Hansgrohe he has the first opportunity in his career to test himself as captain in a grand tour, and his preparation for the race has been painstaking: already in February he faced the reconnaissance of dirt roads of the Rapolano Terme stage. The only, great, unknown that accompanies it is linked to lack of continuity which led him to alternate great performances with disappointing tests, but his name for the podium cannot be discarded.
Ben O’Connor
The Australian of Decathlon-AG2R seems to have finally left two disappointing years behind him and is achieving great results in 2024. His regained conditioncombined with a team that arrives at the Giro d’Italia with a selection full of climbers and great motivation (after years in which the Corsa Rosa was a bit snubbed) make O’Connor a serious contender for the final top5.
Cian Uijtdebroeks
The little jewel of Visma-Lease a Bike he declared again last winter that he was focusing strongly on the Giro d’Italia, and expectations of him have inevitably risen. He certainly doesn’t lack talentbut the results of his spring were not what many would have expected, with a rather anonymous seventh place at the Tirreno-Adriatico which seems a little short to aim for the final podium of the Giro. However, a long internship at altitude in Spain will certainly have allowed him to better refine his condition in view of an appointment that he seems to care about very much.
Juan Pedro López
The Spanish climber of Lidl Trekafter left its mark on the 2022 Giro in which he wore the Pink Jersey for a long time he lost track of himself a bit, settling on an average level of a good climber. The recent one Tour of the Alps victory brought him back to the center of attention, also for his resolute conduct in the race attacking attitude and above all a great leg when the road climbs. At the moment his team does not seem willing to bring important elements to support him, but at 26 years old Juanpe’s limits are still to be discovered.
Antonio Tiberi & Damiano Caruso
We finally arrive at Italian hopeswhich reside mostly in the talented climber from Lazio born in 2001, therefore still very young and having his first experience as a ranking man in a grand tour. However, his growth is evident, not sensational but continuous and gradual, and Antonio declares that the final top5 would be the best. His Bahrain-Victorious the very expert will support him Damiano Carusowho seems to have already set the conditions for his Giro: if he is in excellent shape he will try to resist in the high rankings, otherwise he will focus on a stage success, and given his long career this is an understandable choice.
Eddie Dunbar
The Irish of Jayco-AlUla he amazed everyone last yearremaining in fourth position for long stretches of the race, only to then drop in the final mountains and finish seventh in the 2023 Giro. This year, however, its performance was significantly worse, between withdrawals and anonymous results in the various approach runs. In the team there are valid alternatives such as Luke Plappin his first experience as co-captain, and the Venetian Filippo Zanawho however could decide again to aim for map successes (and perhaps the blue jersey of the GPM), leaving aside the general classification.
Other ranking men
Among the other riders who aspire to a top 10 finish as the maximum achievable result we find the surprise of the day: the captain of Astana will also be there Alexey Lutsenkoaccompanied by Lorenzo Fortunatothe luxury wingman from Ineos Tobias Foss, who was already ninth in 2021 before abandoning ranking projects. The long-limbed captain of EF always remains an unknown Hugh Carthy, which has no longer been able to repeat the exploits of a few years ago. The Frenchman from Decathlon arrives in great shape Aurélien Paret-Peintrealready a stage winner last year, as well as the Colombian from Movistar Einer Rubio, specialist in placing close to the top 10. Other names could use escapes to hit the target, among the candidates we find Michael Storer (Tudor), Florian Lipowitz (Bora-Hansgrohe) e Jan Hirt (Soudal-Quick Step).
