Georg Steinhauser thinks about going for GC at a Grand Tour in the future: "I'd definitely like to try that at some point"

Georg Steinhauser was certainly among the pleasant surprises of the 2024 Giro d'Italia. The 23-year-old German was among the strongest in the mountains of third week of the race, which was rewarded with a stage win on stage 17. But there's certainly more to the EF Education-EasyPost rider, who could one day fight even for overall standings.

"The Giro was my first Grand Tour. I noticed that riding a three-week tour is not as difficult as I had imagined. I always thought it would be extremely difficult," Steinhauser confides in an interview with Eurosport.

Steinhauser had a stellar third week. And given his young age, it's only logical that there are questions whether he can follow in the footsteps of his uncle Jan Ullrich and become Germany's GC future. However, Steinhauser counters: "On the other hand, riding a Grand Tour with the focus on the overall classification was even more difficult than I thought. I would definitely like to try that at some point, but I don't have the experience for that at the moment. I'm enjoying being able to ride freely and aim for stage wins at the moment. Later on, I can always concentrate on the overall classification when I'm in the right shape and I can confirm that I can ride so well in a Grand Tour."

Stage 17 was however not Steinhauser's only good shot for a stage triumph. The German was also at the front three days earlier, but a certain Slovenian phenomenon had his eyes set on the prize that day. "I remembered the 15th stage. I had a lead of about three and a half minutes when the radio said: 'Pogacar is attacking.' What felt like two minutes later, it said he was only a minute behind. And another two minutes later, he had already passed me. He is simply on a different level. You have to accept that."

There were certainly flashbacks of pink phantom running in Steinhauser's head on Passo del Brocon, when he learnt that Pogacar was unleashed again. But this time the lead was comfortable enough. "He definitely gave me my victory on stage 17. Of course, I had the stage just before in the back of my mind, but I was actually sure that I would be able to keep my lead. Two or three kilometers before the finish, the final climb became a little flatter and then I knew that I had it in the bag."

Finally, Steinhauser briefly mentions his main objectives for next season, even though details are still only on the drawing board: "A similar plan is planned for 2025: The Giro should again be a major goal, possibly followed by the Vuelta. But a lot can change by then."