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Please join us for live blogging of Stage 1 of the Giro d’Italia. Live coverage will begin at 23.40 AEST with comments being added to this post as the race progresses.
The 2012 edition of the Giro d’Italia is set to kick off in style, with an 8.7km individual time trial through the streets of Herning, Denmark.
With an open field assembled for the year’s first Grand Tour, the battle for supremacy in the general classification (GC) – and the maglia rosa (pink leader’s jersey) – should be closely fought.
Italian stalwarts Michele Scarponi (Lampre – ISD) and Ivan Basso (Liquigas – Cannondale) are two of the favourites for overall honours.
While the pair hold high hopes for the GC, neither are recognised time trialists and are unlikely to feature prominently in the stage 1 prologue.
In the absence of time trial powerhouses Fabian Cancellara (Radioshack – Nissan) and Tony Martin (Omega Pharma – Quickstep) due to injury, it is hard to pick a clear favourite for the Giro’s first maglia rosa.
Riders to watch include young American Taylor Phinney (BMC Racing), Welshman Geraint Thomas (Sky Pro Cycling) and Dane Alex Rasmussen (Garmin – Barracuda).
Phinney has identified winning the prologue as one of his main targets for the race. The 21-year-old is no stranger to leading a race. He was part of the team from BMC Racing that won the team time trial at the Giro del Trentino last month. As first finisher over the line he earned the leader’s jersey in that race, his first Italian success.
Thomas is in an interesting phase of his cycling career. Openly concentrating on his role in Great Britain’s track cycling team for the 2012 London Olympics, he will not ride the Tour de France. A winning performance at the just-completed Tour of Romandie showed Thomas is unlikely to be held back by a case of “track legs” at the Giro. Even with bigger question marks over his form, it would be a mistake to write off the spirited Thomas.
The predominantly flat roads that comprise the prologue should suit Rasmussen. With the race kicking off in his home country, he will be keen to impress in front of an adoring home crowd.
Other contenders for a spot on the stage 1 podium are first wearer of the maglia rosa at the 2011 Giro Marco Pinotti (BMC Racing), Dutchman Stef Clement (Rabobank) and the smoky on course Australian Jack Bobridge (Orica-GreenEDGE).
Please join us for live blogging of Stage 1. Live coverage will begin at 23.40 AEST with comments being added to this post as the race progresses.
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