The 2017 season may not yet be underway but the line-up for the first Grand Tour of the year is already taking shape. A long line of general classification riders have put their hat in the ring for the Giro d'Italia, promising a hotly contested race for the maglia rosa and the 'never-ending trophy'.
Among those that plan to take on the corsa rosa are defending champion Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) and 2014 winner Nairo Quintana (Movistar). Italy will also have Fabio Aru (Astana) in their arsenal as they attempt to keep the title at home, but they will face stiff competition from all sides.
Next year's Giro d'Italia is a special one - the 100th edition of the three-week race. In order to honour the achievement, the organisers have planned a true race around Italy, beginning in Sardinia before travelling over to Sicily and then traversing its way up the country to the finish in Milan. With just two short time trials, totalling 67km, and a litany of mountain stages, it is a good course for the purer climbers, and that is reflected in the list of riders heading to Sardinia for May 5.
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The rare visits to their home regions made eschewing the Giro d'Italia a difficult task for Aru and Nibali, particularly for the latter as the reigning champion. Aru was likely more easily swayed to race at home, given his disappointing debut at the Tour de France earlier this year. The battle between these two will dominate the home newspapers, no doubt. The last time they competed at the Giro together was as teammates in 2013 when Nibali went on to take his first maglia rosa. They have since largely avoided each other in Grand Tours and the 2017 Giro will be the first opportunity to pit their wits against each other as opponents.
Another of their former teammates, Mikel Landa (Team Sky), has also announced his intentions to line-up in Alghero on May 5. Landa made his Grand Tour breakthrough at the Giro in 2015 while supporting Aru. After two stage wins, it looked like Landa might be Contador’s biggest threat until team orders appeared to get in the way. This year’s race was an opportunity show what he can do but it flopped, hard. With his contract up for renewal at the end of this season, Landa will have the pressure on his shoulders to perform or could be be out on his ear.
Landa could have some competition for the leadership within his own team, however, with both Wout Poels and Geraint Thomas hinting that they would like to have their own shot at Grand Tour leadership. Both are key to Chris Froome’s Tour de France bid and Team Sky would be loath to let them use up their efforts in Italy ahead of the big showdown in July.
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