GIRO D’ITALIA 2024 REPORT CARD
First stop, Saturday 4 May
Tadej Pogacar, 7.5: he is defeated in Turin, an unthinkable surprise given how the race was going. He bullies the team throughout the stage, perhaps too much, because he is left with only Majka available after Colle Maddalena. On the climb in San Vito he accelerates, but it’s not an uncontainable razor: it’s no coincidence that Narvaez stays behind his wheel. In the restricted sprint he was the fastest, but he anticipates the sprint too much and then he lacks his legs in the last 100 metres. In any case, the Slovenian provided fireworks from the first stage. Of course, it won’t be easy to keep up this pace for three weeks, not even for someone like him.
Jonathan Narvaez, 9: he will be able to tell his grandchildren that he resisted an attack from Pogacar on the climb and beat him in the sprint…The Ecuadorian had already won a stage at the Giro in 2020, this season he had come 2nd in the standings at the Tour Down Under in January . However, it is unlikely that he is a ranking man: at 27 years old he has never finished a three-week stage race in the top 30, but you never know.
Maximilian Schachmann, 8: among the counterattackers in the final part of the stage, he is the one who manages best on the San Vito climb, so much so that he manages to get back onto Pogacar and Narvaez on the descent. Second place is prestigious, but there is no shortage of regrets.
Nicola Conci, 7.5: he really believed in the coup of life. Entering the San Vito with about forty seconds on Pogacar was not enough. However, a fifth place that boosts morale.
Antonio Tiberi, 7: well done, he ran wisely, despite being only 22 years old. He rode at the top of the group for the entire stage. He knew he couldn’t respond to Pogacar’s progression, so he managed himself, limiting the damage very well. Apart from the Slovenian, he is the one we liked most among those eligible for the general classification.
Filippo Ganna, 6: the condition is there, but this was not the stage where he could leave his mark.
Damiano Caruso, 7: seeing him even on the attack in the first stage is a welcome surprise. He usually tends to grow over the course of three weeks, but he was ready right from the start. Thanks to the 3″ bonus at the flying finish he occupies fifth position in the standings. Bahrain-Victorius hopes to be able to count on two strikers.
Giulio Pellizzari, 7.5: this guy has some really important qualities on climbs, he can really lead the way. Today he wasn’t afraid to join the counterattackers’ action. On the final stretch he even tried to resist Pogacar’s attack, but raised the white flag. In any case, the aggressive approach reveals the personality of a rider who could become a factor in stage races, provided he improves on the Achilles’ heel of the time trial.
Juan Pedro Lopez, 5.5: 10 seconds lost by Tiberi, Uijtdebroeks and Thomas are not a good sign.
Romain Bardet, 4.5: he was among the most awaited for the final podium, but instead the Frenchman goes into crisis on the first real climb of the Giro d’Italia. Starting with a gap of 1’07” from Pogacar is certainly not ideal, bearing in mind that in the time trial he will pay the price from several riders.
Thymen Arensman, 4: we already have one of the likely favorites out of the running. The Dutchman clocked 2’17” and raised the white flag: he came sixth in the 2023 Giro d’Italia.
