7 Giro d'Italia time trial conclusions 🇮🇹
Pondering the fallout of a possible UAE 1,2,3, Roglič resurrected, and the climbers hang on
Hi Subscribers,
I’m back in the UK but have several stories in the works, including an exclusive with Jürgen Foré on Soudal Quick-Step’s transfers and, of course, the latest on Remco Evenepoel. There is also an interview with Mads Pedersen, and both the Foré and Pedersen audio files are in the Founding Members’ WhatsApp group. To gain access, upgrade your subscription settings to the Founding Member status.
We’re kicking off with conclusions from the Giro TT, and while it’s great to be home, I’m happy and proud to have spent the last week or so at the Giro d’Italia. It was the first stint at a Grand Tour for me and the Substack, and it’s given me more confidence ahead of the Tour de France later this summer.
Thanks for your continued support.
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Daniel 🫶
Roglič resurrected 🇸🇮
I rushed over to the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team bus in Lucca yesterday to ask for a comment on Primož Roglič's recon crash. They hadn’t the foggiest what I was talking about, but a few moments later, their press officer returned to confirm what we already knew; however, there was no further comment to be made. Inside the bus, they must have wondered if Roglič’s Tour de France luck had crossed the Alps and found its way to the Giro, given the difficulties the Slovenian had faced in the last few days. Two crashes in as many race days - it’s not a great look even if the wounds are superficial.
However, a few hours later, as the dark clouds burst and the rain poured down, we saw Roglič wash away any lingering doubts over his status and deliver a more than solid time trial into Pisa.
Finishing seventeenth at 1:15 behind the stage winner Daan Hoole (Lidl-Trek) was certainly not a groundbreaking result in of itself, but considering his pre-stage tumble and the weather, this was a significant moment in the race. Not only did Roglič gain time on all his leading GC rivals, but the performance also halted his decline against the UAE Team Emirates-XRG armada and reaffirmed the vital lesson that this Giro d’Italia will not be won until the crucial third week.
If the experienced Slovenian is riding within himself at this point, then UAE have real cause for concern. Despite two crashes and two off-days in the first week, Roglič is just 1:18 off the maglia rosa, and a time gap of that size can be overturned in the blink of an eye once we reach the stages that really matter.
GC standings after stage 10 of the Giro d’Italia 🇮🇹 📋
Juan Ayuso delivers 🇪🇸
As much as there were question marks over Roglič in the build-up to the time trial, there was equally as much pressure on the shoulders of Juan Ayuso. Here was a rider who had been billed as a top favourite and a co-leader within his UAE squad, but who had been upstaged by his young teammate Isaac del Toro on the gravel stage.