"Coming out of the Giro with a top ten would be incredible for me" - Jay Vine's role at Giro d'Italia undefined yet

Jay Vine has had a big breakthrough last year, winning two stages at the Vuelta a Espana, one of them directly beating Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic. Hence it doesn't come as a surprise that the expectations are high for the Australian ahead of the Giro d'Italia where the duo are the main favourites, but he doesn't yet know what to expected ahead of his debut.

"After this injury, coming out of the Giro with a top ten would be incredible for me, but aside from an actual number I'm really looking forward to going through the process of completing a Giro with a GC team," Vine said in a lengthy interview with Cyclingnews. "That's something that's completely new to me, and it's also a way to find out more about myself, about how to manage weight, nutrition, energy levels – all of that stuff – much more closely. Weight fluctuations were quite common for me in the two Vueltas I did, for instance."

Vine had selective but strong performances with Alpecin-Deceuninck, but he now looks to become a stage-racer. He details the incredible difference in detail having now moved to UAE Team Emirates, where he has access to more equipment and several other factors which are crucial within the sport, and how that may see him take yet another step in his performance.

"There's a massive difference. For me, coming out of Australia and not having any idea of equipment levels or team budgets, I was a bit shocked," the Austrlian continued. "I came out of Australia thinking everyone had access to all the same equipment, testing, setup, ethos, dieticians, training, psychologists, everything… But no, there is a massive difference in level between the top teams that put the money into those things – or the top riders, who have the salaries to be able to do their own stuff – compared to the bottom end of the sport."

Vine started off his season and stint with the team perfectly, winning the Tour Down Under ahead of Simon Yates and Pello Bilbao. His season was however interrupted as he suffered a knee injury, and then abandoned the UAE Tour. He has since not competed, but has returned to training eyeing the Corsa Rosa. Having won in Australia earlier in the year, he should be able to achieve good form even without the racing days in his legs.

He believes he can do something in this Giro based on his first months with UAE, adding that "the level of preparation does determine the results you get. And at this stage, even a 1% difference across a Grand Tour could be five or six minutes. So if you're talking about a few one-percenters, they definitely add up."

UAE should be riding for João Almeida who claims to be the sole leader of the team. However the Portuguese's name was not mentioned in the interview, and neither has late addition Brandon McNulty who also comes in with an unclear role. As the team pursues UCI points there is a good chance that, as was the case in 2022, the team seeks to have several riders in contention instead of putting all their cards in one basket, and Vine may get his opportunity to chase his own results.

"At this stage, I've never done GC at a Grand Tour, and there are lots of different things to take into account. And obviously, there's the age-old chestnut of luck being involved," he continues. "I think keeping the team's options open through the three weeks is a plan, but my form coming out of the altitude camp will ultimately dictate what the team uses me for – whether they use me aggressively or defensively, or whether I'm there in a supporting role from day one."

For the time being there is not yet a certain role. Bringing in puncheurs such as Alessandro Covi, Davide Formolo and Diego Ulissi, alongside sprinter Pascal Ackermann, the provisional lineup for the team seems to point at the search of stage wins, not having a block built around the leader as is the case with Soudal - Quick-Step and Jumbo-Visma.

"I'm not doing the Tour, so that's a chance to prepare for the time trial at the Glasgow Worlds in the summer. But the Giro is pretty much the be-all and end-all," Vine concluded.