Given a green light to target the general classification in the 2012 Giro d’Italia, Jakob Fuglsang is feeling confident that he can achieve a top ten finish or higher in the race.
The 26 year old finished 50th in both the 2010 and 2011 Tour de France, riding in a support role, then placed eleventh as the Leopard Trek team’s protected rider in the Vuelta a España. That performance gave a better indication of the triple Tour of Denmark winner’s GC potential, but he believes he can step things up another level.
“I believe that if I prepare myself perfectly for the Giro d'Italia, what I did not do for this year's Vuelta a España, then I can finish even higher in the standings than what I did in the Vuelta,” he told Feltet.dk.
Fuglsang’s statement reflects the fact that he came out of the Tour de France tired and had to build up again from that point. Andy and Frank Schleck plus Andreas Klöden and Chris Horner are the likely top riders for next year’s Tour, and so he can focus fully on being in peak form for the first Grand Tour of the season.
He’ll shortly work out the buildup towards the event. “I'm going to Italy next week, where I should have a chat with Luca Guercilena who most likely will be the main sports director in the Giro,” he explained. “There I expect that we should make a plan for how the season will be up to the Giro, and which training camps we have to do.”
Fuglsang is a good climber and time trialist, having the all-round ability to chase a high result if he’s going well. He was fourth in both the 2011 Amstel Gold Race and the Tour de Suisse, and also won stage three of the Tour of Denmark.
In previous seasons he took that hat-trick of titles in the Danish national Tour, plus top three finishes in the Giro dell’Emilia, the Tour de Suisse and on three road stages of the Vuelta.
The Giro is arguably the toughest event in the sport and a high overall placing there would underline Fuglsang’s status as one of the top talents in Danish cycling.