Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) has named Nairo Quintana (Movistar) as the man to beat at the Giro d’Italia after placing third overall behind him at Tirreno-Adriatico. Pinot is set to make his Giro debut this season, having focused on the Tour de France with varying degrees of success over the past five seasons.
Pinot began Wednesday’s final time trial in San Benedetto del Tronto in second place, 50 seconds down on Quintana, and though he clawed back 14 seconds of his deficit, he slipped behind stage winner Rohan Dennis (BMC) in the final overall standings.
"My objective coming in here was the podium so I’m pleased to have defended my third place today and I’m pleased with my sensations at the end of this race," Pinot said. "Now I’m thinking about my preparation for the Giro."
ADVERTISEMENT
Quintana’s Tirreno-Adriatico victory, forged on the slopes of Monte Terminillo on Saturday, was his second in three years. Despite a line-up that will include defending champion Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida), Fabio Aru (Astana), Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) and Pinot, Quintana’s early season form has marked him out as the favourite for Giro victory. Quintana won the maglia rosa on his lone previous appearance in 2014.
"There are lots of outsiders, lots of riders who can finish on the podium, but the big favourite before the start will be Quintana," Pinot said. "We’ll try to beat him, but like Froome at the Tour, Quintana is the big favourite at the Giro."
Although Pinot is making his Giro debut, he has raced frequently on Italian roads throughout his career, stretching back to his win in the Giro della Valle d’Aosta as an amateur in 2009. He claimed the overall title at the Settimana Lombarda in his second year as a professional in 2011, placed third at the Tour of Lombardy in 2015 and has now finished in the top five at Tirreno-Adriatico in each of the past three seasons.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest News http://ift.tt/2nqceDd
No comments:
Post a Comment