Having seen details of the testing, taxing route unveiled for next year’s Giro d’Italia, some of the world’s top riders have given their impressions of the Giro as an event and also of the parcours itself.
As detailed yesterday, the 2013 edition will feature five high mountain stages with summit finishes, six medium mountain stages with one concluding in an uphill, two individual time trials [including an uphill TT], a team time trial and seven stages for sprinters or breakaway riders.
“The Giro is just special,” states this year’s champion Ryder Hesjedal in the video below. “It is Italy, the passion of the racing, the history, the iconic images; the great champions have ridden these famous passes, mountains and events. You just feel that when you show up.”
Alberto Contador echoes this, saying that the event means a lot to him and has been significant in his career, “The Giro is a special race – I remember 2008, 2011,” he said. “It was fantastic, the support given to me by the people here.”
Two time winner Ivan Basso likely liked what he saw, but cautioned that the chances for any one rider depend on the synergy of all the days of racing; the race organisers may say they view the event as comprised of a series of single day events, but Basso argues riders can’t approach it this way at all.
“The rider for the overall can’t look at one stage,” he warns. “He has to see all the map, has to stay all day concentrated on the race. That is the only way to try to win the Giro d’Italia.”
See the video below for their thoughts, and also those of Vincenzo Nibali, Mark Cavendsh and others.
Giro d’Italia 2013 promo
Giro 2013 route preview