"It’s a pretty weak Giro for the GC" - No one will even come close to Tadej Pogacar claims Team Jayco AlUla DS Matt White

With Grand Tour season in the men's World Tour almost upon us, UAE Team Emirates leader Tadej Pogacar will start as overwhelming pre-race favourite for the Giro d'Italia. Although Team Jayco AlUla have their own GC ambitions, sports director Matt White cannot see anyone coming close to the Slovenian superstar.

"He’s not beatable. I don’t believe he is. It’s the best sprint field that the Giro has ever seen but it’s a pretty weak Giro for the GC," White told GCN. "Honestly, I can’t see anyone beating Pogacar and I wouldn’t be surprised if he went after the Giro d’Italia leader’s jersey on day one or two because his team won’t have to ride on the front for the first week, and then he’ll squeeze whenever he needs to and take time."

One of those regarded as a likely challenger to Pogacar is INEOS Grenadiers leader, Geraint Thomas, who finished second at the Giro d'Italia in 2023, losing out to Primoz Roglic by just 14 seconds over the three weeks. "INEOS have a better and more rounded team but that doesn’t really matter, because how do you beat him?" White questions. "No one in that race can outclimb him and no one in the race can beat him in the two time trials. It’s 70km of time trialling, so there would have to be some massive mess-up for them to take time on him."

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For Team Jayco AlUla it will be Eddie Dunbar and Luke Plapp who lead the general classification charge. White is realistic enough to admit though, that barring any injury on illness to the Slovenian, it's unlikely Pogacar will be beaten by anyone. “It does only take illness or a crash to change things but does anyone see the other rivals challenging Pogacar? Not on any given Sunday really,” White concludes.