A day for the sprinters with a familiar finish in Foligno, last used in 2014 when Nacer Bouhanni won the stage, profiting from the absence of other big name sprinters to collect several stages and a giant contract at Cofidis soon after. Today’s sprinters will settle for merely the stage win.
The first summit finish of the race. This is promising yet the point of the stage is to see the contenders clash without picking a winner.
Do you have a morning routine? With the Giro d’Italia on there’s nothing better than starting the day with some Italian coffee and La Gazzzetta Dello Sport, the official newspaper of the Giro. Here’s a look at the newspaper, it’s history and what it’s like to read.
Today’s finish has cobbles, flagstones and an uphill finish. A touch of spice but probably a day for the sprinters before tomorrow and the first summit finish of the race.
So far, so predictable. Now the Giro returns to Italy and today’s stage offers a difficult finish that’s going to thwart many of the sprinters. Can Marcel Kittel keep his hold on the pink jersey?
There’s something wrong with a foreign start of a grand tour. The Giro starting in the Netherlands is the equivalent of ordering a pizza with toppings of herring and gouda. Yet each time these foreign starts happen they’re a success enjoyed by thousands.
Fast and flat and potentially a repeat of yesterday’s stage, only if Marcel Kittel can win again he’ll take the overall lead in the race.
A dream start for Tom Dumoulin who gets the big win the home crowd wanted. Now the race heads for the packed roads of the Netherlands and a probable sprint finish.
With Fabian Cancellara suffering from stomach problems the way is open for local hero Tom Dumoulin to do the dubbelslag, the “double strike” of the stage win and the pink jersey.
There are three races within today’s Giro opener: the time trial specialists who want the stage win, the overall contenders who want to take time or just avoid gifting too much of it to their rivals and a third contest among the sprinters as the best of the sprinters gets a head start on for collecting time bonuses and the chance to seize the overall lead in the coming days.
Is Vincenzo Nibali in form? Can Mikel Landa limit his losses in the time trials? Will Alejandro Valverde prove consistent enough. Can Ilnur Zakarin carry the form from Romandie into the Giro and stay consistent for three weeks? Will Rafał Majka deliver the grand tour win he’s been aiming for? Is Rigoberto Uran back to his golden form of recent years? Six contenders in search of answers, it could be a Pirandello play but it’s the Giro d’Italia. This uncertainty is to be celebrated as it promises surprises between now and the end of the month.