Director Kim Andersen breaks down the roles and ambitions of our eight starters
The final countdown to the start of the 104th Giro d’Italia is on. The first Grand Tour of the season gets underway this Saturday in Turin, where three beautiful weeks of racing begin. A few days ago, Trek-Segafredo announced the eight riders who will race in the Corsa Rosa, and the team’s ambitions and roles are set. To better understand these, we asked experienced sport director Kim Andersen – who will direct the team together with Adriano Baffi – to introduce each rider.
Vincenzo Nibali
“In our winter plan, he was the GC leader, but the crash changed everything. We’ll understand his ambitions as we go along. For us, it is important to know that he is there. Vincenzo has class, experience, grit, and a very strong bond with the race. His determination is an added value without equal. He must pass the first week without problems, and then it will be a crescendo. Week three is his terrain. He can aim for the stages, or he can surprise everyone and fight for the GC, although the competition from the new generation will be very strong. Vincenzo’s goal is to race free.”
Bauke Mollema
“Bauke has a clear goal: that is to win a stage. He comes to the Giro after a superb start to the season and the Ardennes Classics with growing condition. He won’t have the stress of the GC fight and everyone knows how reliable he is as a rider. I believe that this could be the right time to add the missing piece to win a stage in all the Grand Tours.”
Giulio Ciccone
“Giulio’s a born attacker whose goal, like Bauke, is to win a stage. He is no longer a rookie and will have a lot of eyes on him. In 2019 he exploded, racing without any pressure, but now everyone knows his potential. It will be increasingly difficult to impose himself, but his ability is not in question. He has to race relaxed and have clear goals, focusing all his energy on those.”
Matteo Moschetti
“We all know that he will have to fight against very good sprinters, but I am convinced that he has the ability to do it. And to beat them also. Last year’s crash is definitely in the past; he has regained strength and the feeling of a victory. He has to try in every sprint and the team will support him.”
Koen de Kort
“He’s the most experienced rider of the team, our road captain. His role is sometimes inconspicuous, but it will be strategic, especially for Moschetti. He will have to help him to manage the preparation phases of the sprint, those where sprinters have to save energy to keep the best position.”
Gianluca Brambilla
“He’s our joker, a rider able to support the captains in the hardest stages but also with the chance of fighting for victory. He had a great start of the season; he has already won and found confidence. He has experience and class to know exactly what to do for the good of the team.”
Jacopo Mosca
“He’ll have a very important task because he’s the real all-rounder of the team. He’s the domestique par excellence with a great added value: that is being reliable on all terrains. He will help Moschetti in the sprints and will support the three leaders in the mountains; he can work in the breakaways or prepare an attack. It will be a really taxing Giro for him, but he has already shown great reliability and ability.”
Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier
“He’s been with us for a few months, we’re getting to know him and the feedback we’ve had from the races has been very good. He’s not a rookie and he’s already proved his potential in the climbs. But we believe that he can grow and improve even more. We are interested to see him working alongside our leaders in the mountain stages.”
