Ryder Hesjedal tips Fabio Aru for Giro d’Italia glory

Former Giro d’Italia winner Ryder Hesjedal has weighed in on the 2018 race. The Canadian believes Italian Fabio Aru, the winner of the 2014 Vuelta a España and a podium finisher at the Giro that same year, has what it takes to win the 2018 edition of Italy’s Grand Tour which gets underway in Jerusalem on Friday.

“Aru can win the Giro (my opinion),” Hesjedal Tweeted on Wednesday. The 2012 winner is in Jerusalem to take in the grande partenza.

Aru can win the Giro( my opinion )

— Ryder Hesjedal (@ryder_hesjedal) May 2, 2018

Aru isn’t an overwhelming favourite but has stage wins in all three Grand Tours. Hesjedal was a surprise winner of the Giro and Aru’s stage racing chomps are more proven than Hesjedal’s were when he time trialed to victory in Milan in May 2012. While in the discussion for a top-five finish or a podium, Aru sits a rung below the likes of Tom Dumoulin and Chris Froome in the discussion for overall victory this year.

Heading into the 2012 Giro d’Italia, few had tipped Ryder Hesjedal for the win. The names of  Ivan Basso, Michele Scarponi, Joaquim Rodriguez and Frank Schleck came up but most had Hesjedal penned for a top-10 or top-15 finish. The Canadian went on to take the pink jersey on Stage 7 before a back and forth battle with Rodriguez that culminated with the Canadian taking the overall win in the final ITT.

Michael Woods is Canada’s best hope at the Giro. With the Ottawa-natives odds sitting at 101 to 1 to win the race overall he is a long shot just like Hesjedal was six years ago.