Fabio Aru will ride the Giro d'Italia wearing the Italian national champion’s tricolore stripes on his UAE Team Emirates jersey. In the absence of Vincenzo Nibali, and as the only Italian overall contender to have won a Grand Tour, the 27-year-old Sardinian carries the hopes of the home nation on his shoulders.
Domenico Pozzovivo leads the Bahrain-Merida team, Bora-Hansgrohe hope that Davide Formolo can impress, and Gianluca Brambilla leads Trek-Segafredo, but Italy expects Aru to step up and take on Chris Froome (Team Sky) and 2017 winner Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb) and fight for the maglia rosa.
During the winter Aru left Astana for UAE Team Emirates, joining Dan Martin and Alexander Kristoff as one of three well-paid, big-name team leaders. Martin and Kristoff will focus on the Tour de France in July after a quiet spring Classics campaign. UAE Team Emirates have only won two races this season and so the pressure is on Aru to deliver at the Giro d’Italia even against Froome and Dumoulin.
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Fortunately, after two difficult seasons, Aru is up for the fight. Third overall on the final podium in Rome would be a good result for Aru but he has loftier ambitions.
"I’m never satisfied with any second place and so there’s no way I’d sign on the line now for a podium place next to Froome or Dumoulin. I’d only be happy with that if I‘d know I’ve given my all to try to win and that they’d shown they’re stronger than me," Aru tells Cyclingnews.
Aru first indicated his Grand Tour potential when he won the Giro della Valle d’Aosta Mont Blanc in 2011, defeating Joe Dombrowski before finishing behind the American in the 2012 U23 Giro d’Italia. He developed rapidly at Astana while under Nibali’s wing, winning the Vuelta a España in 2015 after finishing second to Alberto Contador at the Giro d’Italia.
The Tiralongo influence
Taking on Froome
Overcoming the time trial handicap in the mountains
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/fabio-aru-flies-the-flag-for-italy-at-the-giro-ditalia
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