Giro d’Italia field filling with four months until the start in Belfast
On Tuesday, the jerseys for the 97th Giro d’Italia were presented in Florence, with the maglia rosa getting a shamrock and an Irish design to reflect the race’s start in Belfast, Northern Ireland on May 9. Thursday marks the four-month mark until the first Grand Tour of the season. The contenders’ field is already taking shape as riders and managers structure their seasons.
Richie Porte, the Australian who races for Sky, will get a chance to be the protected rider at the race where he first came to prominence in 2010, wearing the pink jersey, winning the young-rider category and coming seventh over all.
Rigo Uran (Colombia) moved from stage-racer-crowded Sky to Omega Pharma-QuickStep and will be looking to move up one step from last year’s runner-up spot to the top of the podium. Uran won Stage 2 on the 2013 edition with his squad in the team time trial and took victory in the mountains on Stage 10.
Joaquim Rodriguez (Spain/Katusha) has eschewed the Tour de France, in which he was third last year, to race the Giro-Vuelta a España schedule that he’s followed four of the past six seasons. The 2014 Giro is a more balanced race than some of the previous editions, but has a couple of finishing ramps that will favour Rodriguez.
Dan Martin will enjoy racing in his home country of Ireland. Last year, the Garmin-Sharp rider won the Volta a Catalunya with a withering attack set up by Ryder Hesjedal. So far there’s no word from Garmin or Hesjedal whether the 2012 Giro winner will work for Martin again this May or be part of a double-headed attack.
Cadel Evans (Australia/BMC) was third last year, his best Grand Tour result since winning the 2011 Tour de France. The course of this year’s Giro might suit him because of the time trials (one of which is uphill). BMC will put American Tejay van Garderen in the driver’s seat at the Tour. Soon to turn 37, Evans is in the twilight of his career, but after Chris Horner’s Vuelta win at 41, who knows how long “Cuddles” will hang in there?
Michele Scarponi won by default in 2011 after Alberto Contador’s triumph has erased because of a clenbuterol positive. Otherwise, the Italian has come fourth three out of the last four years. The Italian moved over to Astana from Lampre for 2014 and will get support from Slovenian Janez Brajkovic.
Nairo Quintana was the cycling revelation of 2013 and the only (distant) threat to Chris Froome at the Tour. The young Colombian was runner-up and took the best young rider and king of the mountains titles. He also won the Tour of the Basque Country and Vuelta a Burgos. Movistar manager Eusebio Unzué will most likely keep Quintana on Giro and Vuelta duty, while reserving the Tour for Alejandro Valverde, where the Spaniard will clash with Froome, Vincenzo Nibali, Andrew Talansky, Bradley Wiggins and Contador. Quintana will have recently signed Euskatel refugee Igor Anton as his lieutenant.
