"I'm in a lot better shape than last year" - Magnus Cort using Tour de Romandie as final preparation for the Giro d'Italia

Magnus Cort is always a good bet for a breakaway stage win in a Grand Tour. The 30-year-old Danish rider is feeling confident heading into the Giro d'Italia but is using the Tour de Romandie as a final tune up.

A five-time stage winner at the Vuelta a Espana and a two-time Tour de France stage winner, Cort is yet to taste success at the Giro d'Italia, something he is looking to change this time around. "The set-up of the season is the same as last year, but it's very different to have a voluntary break than to spend a few hours on your stationary bike," Cort explains. "That way I was able to relax a lot more, also mentally. All in all, I'm in a lot better shape than last year."

The EF Education-EasyPost rider came close twelve months ago, finishing in the top 10 of three Giro stages without managing to claim a victory and he enters this year's Tour de Romandie with good legs having achieved a pair of stage wins at the Volta ao Algarve.

"I will mainly work on my basic form there. If I fall short in the first few days, it won't make me nervous. It's an important prelude for me to the Giro, but I don't expect to be in top form yet," he explains to Danish cycling site Feltet. "Nevertheless, there will be some transition stages, where we have to keep an eye on the start list to see which fast men are at the start."