Giro: Carapaz aims for an encore, challenges Nibali and Dumoulin

The Ineos Grenadiers is hunting for the third consecutive seal at the cycling Giro d'Italia, which is preparing to take off from the streets of Hungary.

In 2020 the young British Tao Geoghegan Hart triumphed, in 2021 it was the turn of the Colombian Egan Bernal, who this year, however, will not be able to defend the title, because he is convalescing.

2022 could be the year of Richard Carapaz: in 2019 the Ecuadorian conquered the pink race in Verona, where the epilogue is expected again this year, but with the Spanish Movistar shirt.

Now that he is part of the Ineos Grenadiers squadron, his chances of getting on the top step of the podium increase.

Especially since he will have the support of highly competitive teammates and another three years of experience behind him, including third place in the Tour won and the

Carapaz approached the Giro d'Italia with extreme caution, running to save: he did not finish the Etoile de Besseges and the Giro di Provenza, then he won the national time trial title and retired to the Tirreno-Adriatico, while at Tour of Catalonia took second place.

The climbs of the Giro await him: he will be the captain of the battleship Ineos who, for the rest, will field the Australian Richie Porte, 37, third in the 2020 Tour de France, who has never been particularly lucky and winning at the Giro.

We still remember the disasters of 2015.

In addition to Carapaz, two other riders who have already won the Giro will be at the start: Vincenzo Nibali (2013 and 2016) and Dutchman Tom Dumoulin (2017).

The participation of the Portuguese João Almeida has been confirmed (15 days in the squad 2020);

of Briton Simon Yates (4 wins in the Giro, between 2018 and 2021, third on the podium last year);

Colombian Miguel Angel Lopez (third in the 2018 Giro);

the Australian Jai Hindley and the Dutch Wilco Kelderman (second and third 2020 respectively);

by Giulio Ciccone (two stages and 2019 blue jersey);

by the Colombian Esteban Chaves (second 2016);

the Spaniard Alejandro Valverde (who will return to the Giro six years after the 2016 podium);

compatriot Mikel Landa (three stages and a podium 2015);

by the German Emanuel Buchmann, by the British Hugh Carthy, by the Spanish Pello Bilbao,

The winner of the Tour of Flanders, Mathieu Van der Poel, on his debut in the Italian stage race, is aiming for some victories, like the talented Eritrean Biniam Girmay, surprise winner of the Gand-Wevelgem.

Attila Valter from Hungary, who wore the pink jersey in 2021, and stage winners Alberto Bettiol (2021), Lorenzo Fortunato (2021) Davide Formolo (2015), Diego Ulissi (8 stages, the last in 2020), are also expected. Andrea Vendrame (2021), the British Alex Dowsett (2020), the Czech Josef Černì (2020) Enrico Battaglin, Cesare Benedetti (2019) and the German Lennard Kamna.

British expert Mark Cavendish (15 Giro successes), Frenchman Arnaud Démare (5 career stages and the 2020 cyclamen jersey), Australian Caleb Ewan (5 stages), Giacomo Nizzolo (two times winner of the points classification and of a stage at the Giro 2021) and the Colombian Fernando Gaviria (points classification 2017), will go in search of the sprint successes and the cyclamen jersey of leader of the points classification.