2022 Giro d’Italia – Maglia Rosa Preview

The 2022 Giro d’Italia is wide open. The perhaps understandable absence of Pogacar, Roglic, and Bernal opens the door to a first grand tour of the season with no clear favorite.

There are, however, former winners on the startline, and several other riders who’ve impressed in previous years.

Richard Carapaz (INEOS)

The Ecuadorian won the 2019 edition of the Giro d’Italia, and arrives as the closest thing to a favorite. His INEOS Grenadiers team has dominated the race in recent seasons, and brings capable support led by super domestique Richie Porte.

Tom Dumoulin (Jumbo-Visma)

Tom Dumoulin returned to the sport after a hiatus at the end of last year. His fitness, and more importantly, his remaining emotional investment in the sport, will be big questions that he hopes to answer. Repeating his 2017 victory will not be easy, especially on a route that on paper seems not to suit him, but he brings a strong supporting cast with him.

Simon Yates (BikeExchange-Jayco)

Yates lost the Giro in style in 2018, though took a consolatory Vuelta a Espana victory the same year. With four Giro stage wins to his name, he remains an outside bet for the overall.

Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious)

Landa brings a substantially strong squad with him, including Wout Poels. His Bahrain Victorious team are expected to perform well, though an overall victory may be beyond them.

Wilco Kelderman, Jai Hindley and Emanuel Buchmann

Bora-Hansgrohe bring not one but three potential winners with them. Determining a de facto leader, or deciding when to focus on stage wins, will be a headache for the directeurs sportifs.

Joao Almeida

After an impressive debut in 2020, Almeida was muzzled in 2021 by QuickStep’s focus on Remco Evenepoel. Nevertheless, he was freed to race for GC in the second half of last year’s race and finished sixth. Now unleashed for UAE Team Emirates, Almeida will look to build on his fourth and sixth placed finishes, and may pose a major threat for the overall.

The Rest

We said it was open, and there are almost too many potential contenders to list. Roman Bardet (seventh last year) returns in form and may impress again. Of the older generation, Vincenzo Nibali rides what will almost certainly be his final Giro, while Movistar leader Alejandro Valverde makes his last appearance. Guilio Ciccone, Miguel Angel Lopez, Guillame Martin, and Hugh Carthy are all likely to have their sights set on the race too.