Rafal Majka (Tinkoff) says that he won’t accept anything less than a podium when he rides at the Giro d’Italia later this year. The Polish rider showed himself as a potential Grand Tour contender in his previous two appearances at the Italian race in 2013 and 2014 when he took top-10 finishes in both.
Majka has since gone on to claim his first Grand Tour podium at last year’s Vuelta a Espana, taking third on the final mountain stage, and now he has set his sights higher.
“When I did the Vuelta, my first objective was to make the top five but after when I made the podium I was so happy,” he explained to Cyclingnews. “The Giro is a really hard race. I’ve done it twice and I’ve finished sixth and seventh. This year I will be fighting against some big riders but I’m happy to be going there and for sure the objective is not for the first five, I need to be fighting for the podium.
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“I will try my best to be in good condition, but it is also important to try and avoid losing time because of crashes or mechanical problems. This is really important. I think that riders have to be in good shape but they also have to have some luck.”
Since his Vuelta a Espana podium, Majka has had a busy off-season, spending only two weeks at home in Poland over the Christmas period. He’s spent a lot of time between Gran Canaria and Calpe, where he was earlier this month. During that time, he has been doing more in the gym and working with Tinkoff directeur sportif Paxti Vila.
In preparation for his tilt at the Giro d’Italia, Majka has begun his season a little earlier than normal with the Tour de San Luis. Aside from being blown off his bike in the extremely windy stage 6, he managed to stay out of trouble and pulled out a solid result of seventh overall in the general classification.
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