"I don’t even particularly enjoy it all that much": Warbasse becomes a Giro specialist with 7th participation in 8 years

Tudor Pro Cycling come to the 2026 Giro d'Italia with big plans. The Swiss team aims to participate in general classification skirmish with either last year's top-10 finisher Michael Storer, or a debutant Mathys Rondel. And if that doesn't work out, the Swiss team will be ready to switch to stage-hunting. But one thing that is certain is that whichever path Tudor takes over the next three weeks, its leaders will be able to rely on Larry Warbasse who is heading to his already seventh Giro over past eight seasons!

"I didn’t ask for it," Warbasse laughed when Domestique inquired that he had become a Giro d'Italia specialist. "I don’t even particularly enjoy it all that much, but… They just put you in and then you go where they tell you. I mean, it’s a nice race and I love Italy, but it’s hard…"

The season preparation as a whole has not really changed for Warbasse in recent years. And why would it, when it works well for the American road captain. The recipe is clear; start on Mallorca, then travel to Oman, ride Tirreno-Adriatico, do a solid training camp and wrap up preparation at Tour of the Alps.

"I think it’s still probably the best prep to do a long altitude camp and then do a solid race before the Giro," Warbasse said. "Romandie is too close to the Giro, but the Tour of Alps really gets you, as they would say, the race rhythm. And you get super long climbs, even some of the climbs you’ll see in the Giro. It’s hard racing but usually not too stressful, so it’s one of the best prep races for the Giro."

Despite having multiple cards to play at the upcoming Giro, Tudor has not really created a specific race plan yet. In particular Mathys Rondel's possibilities in Italy seem limitless - and that's why the team waits with the final decision for how the young climber responds to the crash test of Giro's first week.

"They’re going to put too much pressure on him, so I think he’ll approach it maybe with an eye on the GC, but without stress because it’ll be his first Grand Tour. He’s obviously shown that he’s in super good form and a really good rider, so anything’s possible, but I think it’s important just to go in and see what happens, because you never know how you’re going to react over three weeks."

As for Warbasse himself, the role of road captain seems to have struck the right chord with the 35-year-old who seems to have found his purpose in a mentorship position:

"I have like a really nice role here for where I am in my career," Warbasse said. "I guess I'm one of the most experienced riders on the team, and I get to help the leaders but also help the young guys. It’s nice because that’s where I feel like I can really give my best and get the best out of myself. And, yeah, occasionally I still get a shot to go on some breaks, but I’m really there for the leaders and the young guys, to help them as much as I can."