A few days ago in Trieste at the end of the Giro NextGen A suggestion immediately came to mind. After the triumph of Roglic at the Giro d'Italia and that of Staune-Mittet in the race reserved for the U23s, la Jumbo Visma she could make it a hat-trick at the next Giro Donne?
To tell the truth This question initially risked not even being taken into consideration, but the recent official confirmation from PMG Sport/Starlight (the organizing company) that the women's stage race will take place regularly has made us divert our curiosity towards the technicians of the Dutch team.
Of course, Jumbo-Visma Women's cycling is not the team that is mainly credited with the final victory, but when you line up "his majesty" at the start Marianne Vos (three wins at the Giro Donne and thirty-two stage wins) anything is possible, even if she is no longer the cannibal of the general rankings as she once was. And so We asked American sports director Carmen Small to find out how her Jumbo-Visma will perform at the Giro d'Italia. (scheduled from June 30th to July 9th).
How did you approach the race considering that little was known about the route?
We built our team with several goals in mindMainly for female athletes, with their development in the run-up to the race, and then not only depending on how the various stages would have gone. However, we also took into account the other important seasonal events such as the Tour Femmes and the world championships. Of course knowing the stages in advance is always useful, but it would not have changed the composition of our team.
Based on what you've seen and heard, do you like the route?
For our training it is a good mix of different types of stagesWe hope that the race will always be exciting and that the other teams will also be able to run hard or take the right opportunities to liven up the race.Not all days will count towards the general classification, so I think we'll see a lot of breakaways and even bunch sprints.
What do you think of the rest day (and transfer) with two stages to go?
I honestly have to say that it's great to be back in Sardinia again this year. In 2022 the stages were really difficult due to the heat and the windThe roads are never flat, so It will be interesting to see the accumulated fatigue before the last two stages and what will happenI think it will have a big impact, in fact it will require recovery after a day of travel.
Who do you think will be the protagonists of the race?
It's difficult to answer clearly or precisely. I think the teams are racing a little differently in this last part of the seasonSports directors and riders are changing their strategies to understand how to win. It's exciting because each team comes to the races with a strong roster. and it seems that most of them try to use their riders differently than the typical one. You see more aggression, they're taking risks and they're not just waiting to see how things go. At the moment, apart from Team DSM, I haven't seen any other lineups, so it's difficult to say anything about the teams.
Is there an athlete in your squad who could be a surprise?
At the Giro Donne, we want to bring girls who know how to race aggressively, without being put under pressure, perhaps taking advantage of any favorable situations that may arise. I would say that all our athletes can be a surprise if we play our cards right..
Some say that, aside from the fifth stage with the climb to Pian del Lupo, albeit far from the finish, the route could be suitable for Marianne Vos. Is she the team Jumbo-Visma is aiming to win the Women's cycling's Giro d'Italia, replicating your male colleagues?
I have to be honest and tell you that we are not particularly interested in the general classificationWe'll take care of that one Tour Femmes with Riejanne Markus already focusing on that goal. However, the Giro Donne is a great race and nothing can be left out. because everything can change in just one day.
