"Avoid flying over Mexico for the next 50 or 60 years" - Danish DS' advice to Richard Carapaz after Giro battle

Brian Holm, former Danish cyclist and sports director, shared his thoughts on the Giro d'Italia and had an interesting remark regarding Richard Carapaz, whom he believes made no friends during this Giro.

He was especially unkind in his analysis of UAE, taking into consideration their tactics specially on the final day of the race. "What happens when the favorites don't live up to their status as favorites?"

"Roglic fell, as he has so often, and UAE's tactics required both a university degree and a full driver's license to understand. It gives great entertainment value when the team with the biggest budget in cycling doesn't have the highest tactical quotient," Holm told In de Leiderstrui.

About Isaac del Toro, all praise for his freshness and performance beyond the end:"A pleasant surprise for UAE was the 'instinctive cyclist' Isaac Del Toro, who gave the race an extra dimension of craziness and unpredictability, as only an ambitious young man can. A stylish cyclist who races without thinking that the race lasts three weeks; you can't do anything but love him, no matter what the outcome."

He did, however, hint that without his incredible climb with Carapaz he would have won the race: "Simon Yates broke the 2018 curse and was simply the best of the day on stage 20. That's why Carapaz and Del Toro ended up in a no-win duel, in which they annihilated each other with surgical precision."

And to the Ecuadorian he sent a curious piece of advice: "Good advice for Carapaz would be to avoid flying over Mexico for the next 50 or 60 years when he returns to Ecuador." After Carapaz refused to work with Del Toro in the follow up to the Colle delle Finestre, it led to Del Toro's decision to match him. The two lost the chance to win the race as a result, and there were criticism to and from both sides.

He finishes by talking about Visma and UAE heading into the Tour and how the Giro has influenced it and about Pedersen and Lidl-Trek's choice to have him ride the Giro: "It should be noted that - already thinking about the Tour de France - Visma | Lease a Bike has won an important psychological battle against UAE Team Emirates".

"There is no doubt that the UAE super team has suffered a mental fracture and that Jonas Vingegaard's team has regained morale and confidence after the Giro. Pedersen is hardly upset that his team, Lidl-Trek, traded its participation in the Tour de France for a plane ticket to Italy. Four stage wins, a sprinter's points jersey and a Danish record for partial victories are not easily forgotten."