Analysis. The 2023 Giro d’Italia is in the books. Although we perhaps didn’t get the battle we expected with the likes of Remco Evenepoel being forced to withdraw due to covid, we still saw plenty of drama, action and excitement. After three weeks of racing, here are five things to take away.
1. Never write off Primoz Roglic
After Joao Almeida and Geraint Thomas put time into Primoz Roglic on stage 16, Eurosport analyst Jens Voigt made the somewhat premature declaration that "he probably has to try to hang on to third place." In hindsight of course, this was a foolish prediction.
Even on the decisive stage 20 time-trial, Roglic suffered a late mechanical issue that would have ruined the day for a lesser rider. The never-say-die spirit of the Slovenian, Jumbo-Visma leader however ensured that not even that late disaster would deny him the Maglia Rosa.
The moral of the story? Never write off Primoz Roglic!
2. Joao Almeida is a Grand Tour winner in waiting
Whilst he may have faded slightly in the final few days, not being able to capitalise on his stunning stage 16 victory, a first-career Grand Tour podium finish for Joao Almeida was still the clearest sign yet that he is a Grand Tour winner in waiting.
No Portuguese man has ever claimed a three-week stage race victory. Almeida though has now has finishes of 4th, 6th, 5th and 3rd at the four Grand Tours he has completed and at just 24 years of age he theoretically is yet to reach his peak.
At a UAE Team Emirates set-up that also includes the likes of Tadej Pogacar and Juan Ayuso, there is a possibility that in the coming years, the trio could dominate the Grand Tour scene.
3. The time is right for Mark Cavendish to retire
On the second rest day of the race, Mark Cavendish announced that this would be his final year as a professional bike rider. Widely regarded as the greatest sprinter of all time, Cavendish has long been one of the biggest names in the sport.
The truth is however, he isn't the rider he once was. Despite the fact the 38-year-old took an emotional, final stage victory in Rome and although admittedly his Giro d'Italia has been plagued by bad luck, the time is right for 'the Manx Missile' to call it a day.
With this announcement now public, Cavendish will be able to enjoy the final few months of his career and, if selected, a hero's welcome on his return to the Tour de France as he makes one last effort to take the outright record of most stage wins in the race's long and storied history.
4. Israel - Premier Tech have a superstar on their hands in Derek Gee
One of the breakthrough stars of this year's Giro d'Italia, 25-year-old Canadian, Derek Gee came into the race as a relative unknown.
After four second placed finishes and two fourth placed efforts however, Gee has worked his way into the hearts and minds of many a cycling fan. His incredible breakaway efforts also ensured he finished in second of both the points classification and the King of the Mountains battle.
A performance such as this in the first Grand Tour of his career, now leaves the question, just how good could he be? With seemingly incredible powers of recovery and the ability to consistently pick the right breakaway, it surely won't be long before the perennial runner-up gets his big win.
5. Sepp Kuss is the world's best super-domestique
Once again a Jumbo-Visma rider has won a Grand Tour and one of the keys to their success was the supremely impressive performances of super domestique, Sepp Kuss.
They say that through a three-week Grand Tour, every one of the GC favourites will have a bad day at some point. When Primoz Roglic had his moment of weakness on stage 16, he lost 25 seconds on the road to Joao Almeida and Geraint Thomas. If not for the heroic work of Kuss to keep his leader in contact however that gap could have been much worse and with the race decided by just 14 seconds, Kuss's work may have proved decisive.
Consistently, Grand Tour after Grand Tour, when the race reaches the high mountains and into the third week, Sepp Kuss is there as the last teammate standing, guiding his team leader to victory.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- What a race! I didn't expect Vanthourenhout to collapse like that, and Wyseure did take the fight to Nys, but there was no doubt at the end. I also wonder what Aubin Sparfel would be capable of were he to race in the elites now. In the U23 ranks he is making good work of Giel Lejeune, who himself is among the better riders in the elites, and a top 10 contender in the big races (3rd at Kleebergcross, 8th at Berencross and 5th at Heerderstrand). In the French Cup, Sparfel is significantly better than Romain Debord (8th at Koppenbergcross and 10th at the Euros) and Rémi Lelandais (12th at Koppenbergcross and 19th at the Euros).
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
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- Thibau Nys does exactly what Iserbyt is calling forRafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- i did not see it. was the relegation justified or an overly hard decision? and don‘t cross riders deviate from straight lines all the time? bumping into each others when they cut corners, etc … why being more strict with the rules on the finish sprint?Ketterechts08-11-2026
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- So?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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