The Tour of Italy *, the 104th edition of which started on Saturday from Turin (to end on May 30 in Milan), always offers an intoxicating journey in which passion, history and symbols mingle.
With its traditional pilgrimages: the Bartali stage, the Pantani pass, when the summit of the event is called the Coppi pass.
Its sporting challenges (Dantesque climbs such as the Zoncolan this year or the stone paths of the dreaded “Strade Bianche”) and meteorological challenges, as recalled by the black and white images of the runners making their climbs between the snowdrifts.
The Giro, difficult to tame, is an incomparable tragedy with its twists and turns, its betrayals, its favorites, its exploits and its failings.
On October 25, the morning of the last stage of a postponed event due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Australian Jai Hindley and the British Tao Geoghegan Hart lived in cramped conditions in the same second.
A unique melee.
The final time trial had decided and celebrated the Londoner of the Ineos formation who, carried by a more offensive strategy, had in three weeks provided more emotions than during his corseted successes on the Tour de France or the Vuelta, metallic, mechanical, defensive cut-and-paste.
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In the absence of the favorites of the Tour de France (June 26-July 18), two heads emerge to see life in pink in a raised context: the Briton Simon Yates (winner of the Vuelta 2018) and the Colombian Egan Bernal ( winner of the Tour de France 2019), in reconquest after his abandonment on the last Big Loop. In the small pack of outsiders where the Portuguese Joao Almeida, the Australian Hindley, the Russian Aleksandr Vlasov, the Spaniard Mikel Landa, the Briton Hugh Carthy or the Italian Vincenzo Nibali jostle each other, when the Belgian Remco Evenepoel, back in the competition after its frightening fall on the Tour of Lombardy last August, will be followed with attention, Romain Bardet will carry (in the absence of Thibaut Pinot still suffering from the back) the main French hopes in the general classification.
In the footsteps of Anquetil, Hinault, Fignon
The Giro, a romantic, confusing, capricious, volcanic race, full of magic, traps and mysteries where everything is always possible, celebrates the 90th anniversary of the pink jersey, strolled since Saturday by the local Filippo Ganna, world champion of the counter- the watch.
A tunic that the French, from Antonin Rolland (one day in pink) to Jacques Anquetil (winner twice), from Bernard Hinault (crowned three times) to Laurent Fignon (once winner), from Laurent Jalabert (eight days in rose) to Thierry Marie (two days) or Jean-François Bernard (three days) have worn.
Ambitious, Romain Bardet, the most consistent French rider of the last ten years on the Tour de France (8 participations with 5 places in the Top 10, including two podiums, 2nd in 2016, 3rd in 2017 and 3 stage victories), will discover the ordeal.
At 30 years old.
And is eager to shine under its new colors DSM (ex-Sunweb), a solid German team, renowned for being at the forefront of athletic and aerodynamic performance.
After turning the page AG2R La Mondiale (9 years with professionals, after 2 years at the Chambéry training center, the antechamber of the Savoyard team).
"It's like a new adventure"
Romain Bardet
The Auvergnat was the leader, the driving force behind Vincent Lavenu's training. His consistency, his personality, his attention to detail can be read in all directions, from performance to dietetics, including equipment. Unmissable, like Thomas Voeckler in the teams of Jean-René Bernaudeau or Thibaut Pinot in the training led by Marc Madiot (Groupama-FDJ).
At a crossroads, Bardet (vice-world champion in 2018) felt the need to live and see something else. To test his ambition. No longer carry all the responsibilities. Relight the flame. To put yourself in danger. “It's like a new adventure,” he summed up. By launching, for example, the assault of a high perched Giro with nine mountain stages (against six on the next Tour de France) including six arrivals at the top in a race where the part of the time trial will be less than on the next Big Loop. The Tour, his obsession for a long time: “For each French team, the highlight of the year is the Tour and in each race, we think about it. I also knew that this Giro would be a big goal for DSM, we have ambitions for the general classification with two riders, and I like that ”,he reminded Cyclingnews.
On the Giro, Romain Bardet shares the responsibilities with Jai Hindley: “We will help each other get the best result and we will do our best to get the pink jersey.
It's new for me not to be the only leader, but it shows our strength in depth when it comes to fighting for the best possible place in the overall standings.
In a race like the Giro d'Italia it is very useful to have two playing cards.
Last year Jai was very strong in the Giro and I'm sure he will be too this year.
"
"Physically, I think it will be much more demanding"
Romain Bardet
Impatient, Romain Bardet declared before the start: “I think it will be a much more open race than the Tour de France, which should suit me more. The third week will be crucial, especially with all the big climbs and the long time trial on the last day. Physically, I think it will be much more demanding. Of my 16 days of racing this year (before the Giro), 15 have been in Italy. I think that tells you how much I love to run here. "
The last podium of a Frenchman on the Giro dates from 2011 with John Gadret.
The ultimate tricolor success of 1989, with the blond panache of Laurent Fignon.
Last year, Arnaud Démare with four victorious sprints awakened the memory of Bernard Hinault, winner of four stages in 1982. The Giro always offers a fascinating field of expression to the daring.
Romain Bardet has dreamed of it for a long time.
* 104th Tour of Italy (3
479.9 kilometer
è
tres in 21 steps).
To be continued on Eurosport
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