In only a few hours, the Corsa Rosa will officially start with a spectacular time trial along the Adriatic coast of Abruzzo.
For Trek-Segafredo’s captain, Mads Pedersen, it will be his third experience at the Giro d’Italia. This time he comes to the start line with the declared aim of arriving in Rome with (at least) one stage win in his bag. And then, there is the ciclamino jersey in the background. In short, his desire to leave an important mark on the race is strong. Here are his words…
I did a lot of races in Italy in the first years of my career with Trek-Segafredo. I like racing here, even if in the last couple of years, I didn’t do many races here. I still have clear memories of my first two Giros, in 2017 and 2018. They were two exciting experiences. I was there with a different role, different ambitions, responsibilities and, of course, palmarès. So, now, it’s like there’s a new about me and the race can written. Hopefully, a successful one.
I kept my form at a good level in the Classics season. After Roubaix, I had break, a little one, but it was definitely a good and necessary break. It was a busy spring, but I don’t think I’ll pay for the efforts of the Classics during the Giro. Maybe I’ll my bill will come later in the season, but right now I’m confident that I worked well with my coach to keep the condition good.
The plan for tomorrow, in ITT, is to go full gas and take as many points as possible for the ciclamino jersey. The competitors for the points jersey are strong and the Giro is such tough race. It’s going to be an exciting and, at the same time, a hard challenge. But I want to go step by step. The priority is clear: win a stage. And I’ll do my best to make it happen. Then, I think the two goals clearly go hand in hand. Winning stages means taking lots of points. Anyway, I think the battle for ciclamino could play out not only among the sprinters. A guy like Evenepoel, for example, can also aim to win many stages and the jersey. It’s going be an interesting competition to watch.
I already have some stages in mind as big targets. I’ll have a well-equipped team around to support me. Alex Kirsch will be the rider in front of me and Daan Hoole will be the one in front of him. Basically, two big mountains to protect me. In front of them, Vergaerde will lead. It’s a strong train. Not a normal one, not a traditional one, but we showed we’re able to handle and deliver results pretty well. I strongly believe we can do a great Giro, as a team with Bauke also hunting for a stage to complete his slam. Of course, the loss of Cicco was a hard hit for the mountains, but this won’t change our motivation to do our best.
