Storer roars back at the Tour of the Alps but how far can he go at the Giro d’Italia?
Roglič and Ayuso will have the measure of the Australian, but they can't underestimate the Tudor rider
After losing his GC lead on stage 4 of the Tour of the Alps in dramatic fashion, Michael Storer bounced back to secure his first stage racing title in two years on Friday, and with the Giro d’Italia just a few weeks away, the Australian has underlined his credentials as a possible GC threat.
However, how far Storer can go in the overall battle at the Giro remains unclear.
Twelve months ago, he was a distant tenth, and by the time the peloton arrives on the shores of Albania for La Grande Partenza on May 9, the opposition facing the Australian will be far more formidable than what he encountered in Italy and Austria this week.
Take nothing away from his overall performance here at the Tour of the Alps after he delivered another monstrous effort on stage 5 to Lienz on Friday, attacking from a group of GC contenders with just under 35km remaining and dropping all his rivals, including race leader Thymen Arensman in the process, but the Giro is a different beast entirely.
On stage 5 of the TOTA, and on the second and final ascent of the Bannberg, Storer eliminated his opposition through a combination of clever tactics and superior wattage as Tudor Pro Cycling outthought and outfought Ineos Grenadiers, overcoming what had been an 11-second lead for Arensman coming into the final stage.
While Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale were up the road deciding who would win the stage between Nicolas Prodhomme and Paul Seixas, the sight of Storer putting close to 1:40 over his race rivals genuinely stood out.
By the time he crossed the line, the gaps were emphatic, with the 28-year-old topping the GC a whopping 1:33 ahead of Arensman, 4:07 clear of Derek Gee and 5:09 in front of Giulio Ciccone - all of whom are heading to the Giro d’Italia as GC contenders for respective WorldTour teams. But for Arensman’s solo effort on stage 4, Storer was the dominant force in this year’s race.
Read more: Modest mouse: Michael Storer underlines his Giro d’Italia threat at Tour of the Alps 🇦🇺
For a second-tier squad, even one as professional as Tudor Pro Cycling, the Tour of the Alps was a seminal win in the team’s short history. But can Storer double down and reproduce this level of performance, not just when the Giro starts on May 9 but in 30 days, when the Giro d’Italia enters what will be a crucial final week with an opening salvo towards Asiago?