Despite his promising start to his first assault on the GC in the Giro d’Italia, Colombian Esteban Chaves (Orica-GreenEdge) remains cautious.
“Day by day,” the 26-year-old repeatedly says when interviewed by a small group of reporters at the stage 5 start in Praia a Mare. “Stage by stage and day by day.”
Day by day, week by week or however you want to look at it, Chaves is not doing badly at all. After four stages, including one very tough finale on stage 4 (where he took ninth) and a solid, if not amazing, opening time trial, the Colombian is currently lying tenth overall, 37 seconds down on race leader Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin).
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Chaves knows he may have much to live up to given Orica-GreenEdge’s track record in the Giro d’Italia. Furthemore, after what was arguably their most successful Classics season to date, expectations are high that the Australian squad can shine very brightly in the Giro d’Italia as well. Last year Orica-GreenEdge took the opening team time trial and a stage with Michael Matthews, as well as leading the race for four stages in the first week. Overall, they have taken six stage wins and had 11 days in the pink jersey, and Chaves, too, was the race’s Best Young Rider for one day.
Chaves ended up out of the GC running in the 2015 Giro, sliding to 55th in Milan. However, the Vuelta a España was another story altogether, with fifth place in Madrid, a spell in the lead after he and Tom Dumoulin spent much of the first week fighting for the top spot overall, and two stage wins to boot. He then went on to take eighth in the Il Lombardia as well as the overall in the Abu Dhabi Tour.
This May in another RCS-organised race like Abu Dhabi but on more familiar terrain in Italy whilst Caleb Ewan is on the hunt for stage wins, the young Colombian is battling for the general classification. “I’m doing well, I like the hotter, more humid weather we’ve got here and I hope it’s going to continue like that.”
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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