Pogacar is undoubtedly an ambitious man, the 25-year-old Slovenian has set himself a historic feat that very few have achieved, or even attempted, to win two grand tours in the same season, Giro and Tour. His 2024 season is being excellent, with victories in the Volta a Catalunya or the Strade Bianche, with also his sixth monument with the recent victory in the Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
This goal, the Giro/Tour double, is something rarely seen in cycling, in fact it has not been achieved for 26 years. Only some legends such as Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Stephen Roche, Bernard Hinault, Miguel Indurain and Marco Pantani have achieved it, with the 'pirate' being the last to achieve it in 1998. Many of these legends already sound distant for new generations of cycling fans, even for the Pogacar generation.
We cannot forget that injuries have been the protagonists of the season. The terrible fall in the fourth stage of the Tour of the Basque Country – Itzulia by Jonas Vingegaard (resulting in several broken ribs and clavicle) leaves all doubts about his participation in the next Tour de France. He was not the only one affected, Roglic and Evenepoel were also involved in that fall.
This wave of injuries has affected the Giro d'Italia squad, which begins this Saturday, May 4, in Turin and concludes on the 26th in Rome, where Tadej is undoubtedly the big favourite. Such is his favouritism that the UAE team itself has saved part of its heavyweights for the French round.
Roglic 2023 Giro winner. Image by pressroom.rcssport.it / © RCS Mediagroup S.p.a
Although he is the big favourite, there are a plethora of stars in this Giro who will also try to find his place. Starting with Geraint Thomas, also winner of the 2018 Tour, and who last year took second place, losing the pink jersey right in the last time trial against Roglic. Climbers like Bardet or O'Connor and the return of Nairo Quintana, who already knows what it is to win the Giro (he did it in 2014), stand out.
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