The Giro d’Italia, the first Grand Tour of the year, begins on Saturday, and this week Canadian Cycling Magazine revs up its preview machine before the big launch. Along with 18 WorldTour squads, four Pro Continental wild card invitees line up in Bologna on May 11. As in the Tour de France and Vuelta a España, most of these teams are from the host country. What Do Wild Card Teams Bring to the Table? You can count on wild card teams getting riders into every breakaway as they endeavour to justify their invitations and fly the team flags. Although no wild card riders have won Giro stages over the last two editions, usually the wild card teams earn one or two stages each year. In 2016, both Giulio Ciccone of Bardiani-CSF and Alexander Foliforov of RusVelo took stages. From 2009 to 2013, wild card riders bagged four of the five mountains classification jerseys. The last time a wild card entrant finished in the top-20 was 2014 when Androni Giocattoli’s Franco Pellizotti claimed 12th place. Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec 2019 wins: 12. One of three wild card teams that was also in last year’s Giro, AGS has more sponsor logos on its jersey that any other team. More importantly, this squad brings a rider who might be in the GC race, Fausto Masnada. The 25-year-old Italian spent April riding to second place in the Giro di Sicilia, fifth in the Tour of the Alps while winning two stages and second in the one-day Giro dell’Appennino. He was the top wild card rider in last year’s edition of the Giro, placing 26th. Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec’s general manager is the savvy Gianni Savio. Eccola… é arrivata la maglia 2019 di Androni Giocattoli Sidermec. Fiammante, come sempre! Speriamo vi piaccia. pic.twitter.com/eCGR4GLB9W — Androni Sidermec (@AndroniGiocatto) January 3, 2019 Bardiani-CSF 2019 wins: 1. This all-Italian team has been getting the wild card call for eight consecutive years due to consistent stage wins. Beside Ciccone’s win in 2016, the team had stage victories in 2015 from Nicola Boem and in 2014 from Stefano Pirazzi, Marco Canola and Enrico Battaglin. Nippo-Vini Fantini-Faizanè 2019 wins: 2. NVFF is the only wildcard squad that didn’t get selected last year as well. The outfit is a unique blend of mostly Italian and Japanese athletes, with a couple of Spaniards and Colombians. Nippo-Vini Fantini-Faizanè was 2004 champion Damiano Cunego’s last team. Israel Cycling Academy 2019 wins: 7. The only non-Italian team in the quartet, ICA was notably invited last year when the race began in Israel. Canadian Guillaume Boivin was active in the first week’s breakaways. Boivin is one of three Canadians on the team. Davide Cimolai and Boivin finished one-two in the recent Vuelta a Castilla y Leon. Boivin looks to be Canada’s sole entrant in this year’s race.<doc-sep>Who will take the pink jersey in the opening TT? Primož Roglič on the way to victory in the 2019 Tour de Romandie (Photo : STIEHL / SUNADA) (Image credit: Yuzuru SUNADA) The first day of racing in the 2019 Giro d’Italia will set the scene for the general classification battle with an 8.2km individual time trial in Bologna. A flat opening six kilometres of the individual test will be capped by a 2km-long climb to the finish, averaging 9.7 per cent, making this an enticing opener and leaving the first pink jersey of the race wide open. This year’s Giro has attracted some of the best time triallists in the world, owing to its three individual TTs spread across the three weeks. Victor Campenaerts (Lotto-Soudal) is a favourite for the opening stage as he is riding high after setting a new Hour Record last month, but he will face resistance from GC riders who also go well against the clock. >>> Giro d’Italia 2019 live TV guide Former world time trial champion Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) is a likely candidate to take the first pink jersey of the race, with his team saying they are prepared for that possibility. Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma), who has won all three stage races he has ridden this year, is another proven great in a TT and will take confidence from the time trial stage victory on the final day of the Tour de Romandie which secured his overall victory. Outside bets for the opening stage are Deceuninck – Quick-Step’s Bob Jungels, a multiple Luxembourg national TT champion and dark horse in a solo test Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott), who took an unexpected time trial victory on a hilly course at Paris-Nice this season. But the GC contenders will be wary of pushing too hard on the first day as risk of crashing is always high in a short TT, which could leave the door open to a rider like Campenaerts who is not chained to a bid for overall success. Chances for the sprinters Fernando Gaviria (left) and Elia Viviani will battle it out for sprint stages at the Giro d'Italia (Photo: Yuzuru SUNADA) (Image credit: Yuzuru SUNADA) The Giro has not traditionally been the most fertile ground for the sprinters, with the fast-men often opting to chase Grand Tour stage success at the Tour de France. But this year’s race has attracted an unexpectedly strong field for the bunch sprints, most notably former team-mates turned rivals Elia Viviani (Deceuninck – Quick-Step) and Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates). The pair have been dominant in sprints where pure speed has mattered most, with their rivalry set to continue in Italy. Viviani will be looking for glory on home turf while wearing the Italian national champion’s colours and Gaviria will be hunting for a repeat of his 2017 Giro success where he won four stages. They face a strong challenge from Lotto-Soudal’s Caleb Ewan who, while struggling to take victory in sprints defined by pure power, has found himself able to improvise on unpredictable terrain to secure victory for his new team on a number of occasions. Outside contenders for the fast finishes include German star Pascal Ackermann who has usurped Sam Bennett as Bora-Hansgrohe’s favoured sprinter for the Giro, and Frenchman Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ) who can win on the toughest terrain. As always the Giro will open with a slew of unpredictable rolling and hilly stages, which means the sprinters will have to fight for their chances, but with a strong turnout of powerful riders there will be plenty of teams willing to control the race to ensure a bunch kick. Look out for potential sprint finishes on stages two, three, four and five. Tense opening week for GC contenders Esteban Chaves and Simon Yates shook up the GC on stage six of the 2018 Giro (Photo: Yuzuru SUNADA) (Image credit: Yuzuru SUNADA) The Giro is notorious for shaking up the GC battle by dropping tough climbing stages in the first week. Last year stage six to Mount Etna caused the first significant gaps in the fight for the maglia rosa and set Simon Yates on a course to almost-victory. The 2019 race doesn’t feature any climbs as challenging as Etna in its first week, but that doesn’t mean it’s a chance for the overall contenders to relax as there are still possibilities for gaps to open. Stage four from Orbetello to Frascati culminates in a very short but steep uphill rise to the line, so the favourites will have to keep their wits about them and stay at the head of the peloton to avoid any gaps. There is also a chance of attacks in the final 30km of stage six, from Cassino to San Giovanni Rotondo, on the slopes of the second category climb to San Marco in Lamis, which is followed by a rolling final 18km to the line – this could be perfect for an opportunist to make an early move against rivals. >>> Giro d’Italia 2019 route: stage-by-stage analysis, elevation and maps The following day, starting in Vasto, also has the potential to shake things up, with another second category climb to le Svolte di Popoli, with a pair of uncategorised climbs following shortly after before a short rise to the line in L’Aquila. These are the first opportunities (or dangerous moments) for the likes of Yates, Roglič and Dumoulin, before the first real mountainous test on stage 12. Long stages open the race The peloton on stage five of the 2018 Giro d'Italia (Photo: Yuzuru SUNADA) (Image credit: Yuzuru SUNADA) There will be no easing into the Giro this year, as the opening week includes some of the longest stages of the race. Starting on stage two from Bologna to Fucecchio at 205km, stage three then jumps to 220km, with a 235km day following on stage four. These long stages are likely to temper the racing in the opening week as riders look to avoid any undue fatigue too early in the race. A short day (140km) on stage five breaks up the long stages, before a 238km route on stage six and 239km on stage eight, making this a very long first few days of racing. TT to set the stage for the second week The second of three time trials in the 2019 Giro is well-suited to Tom Dumoulin (Photo: Yuzuru SUNADA) (Image credit: Yuzuru SUNADA) Then we arrive at the climax of week one – the longest time trial of the race, over 34.8km from Riccione to San Marino. This second of three TTs will define the second week of racing and could even break up the race enough to decide the overall by the time we reach the finish in Verona. After a very gently rising first half of the course, the route then kicks up into a 12.5km-long climb averaging 3.9 per cent, which will be the decisive moment of this test. The gentle gradient will suit those with the biggest engines, particularly Dumoulin who is also a rival to be feared on a climb, which could put the lighter riders like Yates on the back foot heading into the second week. There is certainly something for everyone in the opening week of this Giro, with this pivotal time trial topping of what will be a thrilling nine stages.<doc-sep>London-born Scot Tao Geoghegan Hart will be joint leader of Team Ineos at the Giro d’Italia, which starts on Saturday in Bologna, together with the Russian rider Pavel Sivakov, following the news at the weekend that the Colombian Egan Bernal had broken his collarbone in a training crash. Both riders were hugely impressive at last month’s Tour of the Alps – their last in the colours of Team Sky – where Sivakov won the overall and Geoghegan Hart second, the podium completed by Bahrain-Merida’s Vincenzo Nibali. With an out-of-form Gianni Moscon dropped from his home Grand Tour – he will race the Tour of California instead – Team Ineos have opted for a line-up in which the average age is 25 years, lower than any fielded in a Grand Tour by Team Sky over the past decade. Geoghegan Hart, 24, and Sivakov, 21, both of whom made their Grand Tour debut at last year’s Vuelta, will be joined by Eddie Dunbar, Sebastian Henao, Christian Knees, Jhonatan Narvaez, Salvatore Puccio and Ivan Sosa. Team principal Sir Dave Brailsford said: “Over the last two seasons we have been bringing together a carefully selected group of young riders who we believe to be the future of our Team. “Whilst very much in the learning and development phase of their careers, we have nevertheless already seen them taking great strides forwards this year with Egan, Pavel and Chris Lawless all winning stage races and Tao, Ivan, Jhonatan, Sebastian and Eddie all riding exceptionally well. “With this developmental goal in mind, we have chosen to field our youngest-ever team for a Grand Tour and it’s fitting it should be our first one as Team Ineos.” Reflecting on Bernal’s collarbone fracture, he said: “Egan’s injury is a real shame as he was to lead the team in a Grand Tour for the first time. However, I’m sure he will be fighting fit come July. “Eddie will now come into the Team for his first Giro and given his recent performances it is well deserved.” Speaking of the youth of the team, he said: “We will not dramatically change our approach to the race as we will still look to give each rider the greatest developmental opportunities and to learn and gain as much experience as possible. “Both Salvatore and Christian have been selected to add in a wealth of Grand Tour experience and to support the riders who will be racing for three weeks for the first time.” He added: “Whilst we have set ourselves some clear targets and goals, the most important thing is to animate the race, embrace it and enjoy it too – as a young team we really want them to feel an excitement and anticipation of taking on this adventure and to test themselves and see where they get to. “We will all feel very proud to start our first Grand Tour as Team Ineos and start what I’m sure is going to be a great journey together.” The team goes into the race buoyed by its first appearance in its new red and black kit at the Tour de Yorkshire that saw Chris Lawless win the overall after a thrilling fourth stage where team-mate Dunbar took third place on the day and on GC.<doc-sep>
Team Ineos boss Sir Dave Brailsford has welcomed the outfit's youngest ever Grand Tour roster for the 2019 Giro d'Italia, with an average of 25. Chris Froome won the Italian Grand Tour in 2018 but for 2019 the team is banking on youth and is allowing talents like Eddie Dunbar and Tao Geoghegan Hart to explore their possibilities. "Over the last two seasons we have been bringing together a carefully selected group of young riders who we believe to be the future of our team," Brailsford said. "With this developmental goal in mind, we have chosen to field our youngest-ever team for a Grand Tour and it's fitting it should be our first one as Team Ineos." >>> Bob Jungels and Elia Viviani to lead Deceuninck – Quick-Step at Giro d’Italia 2019 This morning, the team announced the roster with Eddie Dunbar (22 years old), Tao Geoghegan Hart (24), Sebastian Henao (25), Christian Knees (38), Jhonatan Narvaez (22), Salvatore Puccio (29), Pavel Sivakov (21) and Ivan Sosa (21) all riding. Dunbar, Narvaez and Sosa be making their Grand Tour debuts in the Giro. The 2019 race starts Saturday (May 11) in Bologna with an uphill time trial and ends on June 2 in Verona. Froome will not defend his title, instead focussing on a fifth Tour de France win. The team had to scrabble when they lost their planned Giro leader Egan Bernal due to a training crash and broken collarbone a week out. Bernal raced the Tour last year at just 21 years old and won Paris-Nice this spring. "Egan's injury is a real shame as he was to lead the team in a Grand Tour for the first time," Brailsford added. "However, I'm sure he will be fighting fit come July [in the Tour de France]." Italian Gianni Moscon had also planned on racing, but has not been on good form and will ride the Tour of California instead. Russian Sivakov and Brit Tao Geoghegan Hart will lead the British super-team in its first Grand Tour after switching from long-time backer Sky. The team calculated the average age of the roster is 25. >>> ‘I had a lot of confidence’: Egan Bernal ‘very sad’ after roundabout crash rules him out of Giro d’Italia 2019 "We will not dramatically change our approach to the race as we will still look to give each rider the greatest developmental opportunities and to learn and gain as much experience as possible," Brailsford said. "Both Salvatore and Christian have been selected to add in a wealth of Grand Tour experience and to support the riders who will be racing for three weeks for the first time." The time trials will sort out and help calm what is expected to be a nervous first 12 days. Not until stage 13, with the Lago Serrù finishing climb, will the Giro enter the high mountains. Brailsford's young group will face more experienced riders like Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott), Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) and Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida). "Whilst we have set ourselves some clear targets and goals, the most important thing is to animate the race, embrace it and enjoy it too – as a young team we really want them to feel an excitement and anticipation of taking on this adventure and to test themselves and see where they get to," continued Brailsford. "We will all feel very proud to start our first Grand Tour as Team Ineos and start what I'm sure is going to be a great journey together."