EFE · Road Competition · 04/25/2024
The Welsh cyclist Geraint Thomas (Cardiff, 37 years old) will once again lead the Ineos Grenadiers challenge in the Giro d’Italia that begins in Turin on May 4 and ends in Rome on the 26th of the same month.
Thomas, winner of the 2018 Tour de France and second in the Giro in 2023, will lead a team packed with grand tour experience for the 21-stage event that will complete 3,400 km.
The Dutch Thymen Arensman, sixth overall in 2023 and second in the youth classification, will once again play a crucial support role for Thomas in the high mountains. The experienced Ben Swift will take on the role of “road captain”, charged with executing the team’s ambitions to compete aggressively and take advantage of every opportunity.
The favorite of the Italian fans will be Filippo Ganna, who will be favorite in the individual time trials and try to add to the six stage victories in the Giro.
Jhonatan Narvez, stage winner in 2020 and who has shown excellent form at the beginning of the season, is making his fifth start in the Giro d’Italia.
Team newcomer Tobias Foss, recent winner of the first stage of the Tour of the Alps and former top-10 finisher at the Giro, will make his first Grand Tour start as a Grenadier.
Magnus Sheffield, 22, will also make his debut. The American has impressed in week-long stage races as well as the time trial, and now takes the next important step in his Turn career.
“My preparation has gone well and I feel in a great position heading into the start. We have a strong team and there is a good bond with this group. The core is the same as last year’s Giro team, with some great additions to this year. We’ve spent a lot of time together at rallies. We know what we have to do and we all feel super motivated to do the job and get it done,” Thomas said.
For Thomas, the favorite for the Italy spinwho is none other than the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar.
“Pogacar is the pre-race favorite and has a strong team around him. That changes the dynamics of the race a bit. But that also means all eyes will be on him for three long weeks of tough racing. Our plan is to be aggressive, take the race and look for every opportunity to add pressure and gain time,” he commented.
Commenting on his plan to participate in both the Giro and the Tour de France this year, he added:
“With the plan to race the Giro and then go straight to the Tour, this season there has been a different approach and slower preparation. But I feel good and I don’t think beyond the next few weeks in Italy. My only goal now is the I turn and get there in my best possible shape,” he concluded.
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