Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) is set to make his Giro d’Italia debut next May, with the race organisers confirming his participation in a promotional video on social media today, Sunday.
The decision to ride the Italian Grand Tour, rather than putting his main Grand Tour focus on next year’s Tour de France, will be seen in some quarters as an acceptance he will find it hard to beat Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) in France in July.
However, two-time Tour winner Pogačar is more versatile than any other rider in the pro peloton at present. And if anyone can go to both the Giro and Tour to compete to win in the same season, he can.
His presence in the Giro will light up the event, which often serves up more aggressive and less predictable racing than the Tour. His decision to ride the Italian Grand Tour perhaps puts a new complexion on the 2024 season, as many teams aim for the Giro when they feel they do not have the riders to win the Tour.
That prioritising of the Giro, because it has been an easier race to win for many years, effectively will not apply next year because of Pogačar’s presence at the race, which is a major coup for race owners RCS.
And with Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) also tipped to ride the Giro, though not aiming for general classification, the Italian Grand Tour is shaping up to be a fantastic race next year, just as it was in 2023.
This year Primož Roglič (Visma-Lease a Bike) triumphed over Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers), with the final destination of the maglia going to the wire when Roglič won the final TT on the penultimate day of racing.
Break the internet ♾💗
👋 @TamauPogi @TeamEmiratesUAE #Giro #Tour of Italy @MiAirports pic.twitter.com/eFIxlLy6L5
— Giro d’Italia (@giroditalia) December 17, 2023
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#Tadej #Pogačar #confirmed #ride #Giro #dItalia #season
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