TOUR OF ITALY | 04/30/2024 | 08:09
The Team Jayco AlUla is ready to line up for the 2024 Giro d’Italia with an eclectic team, full of talent and experience, bringing more options to the table. Last year’s seventh place finisher, Eddie Dunbar, will once again lead the team, with the intention of repeating last year’s top ten performance. Alongside the Irishman, the Australian champion Luke Plapp he has proven himself to be the complete athlete, a strong time trialist looking to make his mark in the two individual time trials up for grabs.
Eddie Dunbar explains: «I can’t wait to return to the Giro and try to repeat, if not improve, last year’s good result. My preparation was quite good, maybe not as good as last year, but it will be nice to go back to the Giro and fight again. This year’s route is very tough from the start, the first two stages will probably be reserved for general classification men and therefore you have to be ready from the start. This year there will also be some dirt roads, the classic long Alpine climbs and two challenging time trials. In short, the usual hard and challenging Giro.”
Great expectations for two strong Italians who are growing in form: Filippo Zana, who will try to repeat himself after last year’s success, and Alessandro De Marchi who will be the “road captain” of the Australian team.
Brent Copeland, General Manager of the team, explains: «It will be exciting to be at the start next Saturday for one of the most fascinating races in the world. The Giro officially starts on May 4th, but in reality it started many months ago. Runners and staff have worked for months to prepare for this event, which has always given us great satisfaction over the years. I am proud of the work we have done together and I am confident that our team will stand out in each of the 21 stages. We have built a team that brings together highly experienced men and very talented young athletes. We’re finally here, it’s time to leave the verdict to the streets.”
Make way for sprinters
The multiple stage winner of the Giro d’Italia Caleb Ewan he will be the team’s sprinter in a race he knows well having already won 11 times in his career. The 29-year-old Australian will be supported by two great experts in fast finishes with the Slovenian Luka Mezgec and the German Max Walscheid which are two of the most popular pilot fish in the world. Rounding out a stellar train is the Australian expert Michael Hepburn which will also be of support in the most challenging stages.
Caleb Ewan explains: «I am thrilled to return to the Giro after two years of absence. It’s a race I’ve always liked and I have good memories having won five stages. This year I started my season with the Australian races, and then I won a stage in Oman before racing the Tirreno-Adriatico. For a month and a half I have been preparing for the Giro with a training camp at altitude and I will return to racing tomorrow in Frankfurt before leaving for Italy. I can count on the help of two great professionals like Luka (Mezgec) and Max (Walscheid) and I believe we can do good things.”
Finally the opinion of David McPartland, sporting director of the team: «The Giro d’Italia has arrived and here we are ready to begin our assault on this very special race. On the general classification front we aim to finish in the top 10 and on the stage front our goal is to win at least one stage with Caleb and another among the various other guys we have who are capable of winning stages, like in the time trials with Luke (Plapp) and in the mountains or on the run. It took months of work to prepare for this race by all our riders and the Giro staff. We have achieved many successes over the years at the Giro and our goal is simply to do the same in the 2024 edition.”
Copyright © TBW
