"Jai seems to be the stronger": Felix Gall reckons Hindley to be his main rival for the podium spots in final week

In line with Decathlon CMA CGM Team's pre-Giro plan, Felix Gall passed the second rest day of this year's edition on the provisional podium, within reach of outsider Afonso Eulálio, but not as close to leader Jonas Vingegaard. However heading into final week, Gall cannot grow too confident of his own success with many rivals eyeing his podium spot from less than a minute's distance.

Speaking to Cyclism'Actu during the calm Monday afternoon, Gall admitted that the race situation has not changed drastically compared to week earlier with only one big mountain stage, and a key time trial, shaping up the current standings:

"It's a similar feeling to before the first rest day. From the last rest day until today, we've only had one true summit finish. It was a very difficult stage and an important test, which gives me confidence for this third week," Gall sounds confident.

Even though the 42-kilometer race against the clock shook up the general classification on Tuesday, mountains of Aosta allowed those in-form to return to the top: "In terms of the gaps in the general classification, I'd say the situation remains quite similar. I lost time in the time trial, but I confirmed my form in the mountains on Saturday. So overall, it's fairly comparable."

Looking at the current overall standings, Felix Gall sits third, 2:50 behind the convincing Jonas Vingegaard. Within reach is the former pink jersey wearer Afonso Eulálio, 24 seconds ahead. Closest behind Gall is Thymen Arensman whose consistency placed him 13 seconds off Gall, while Red Bull duo Jai Hindley and Giulio Pellizzari are further behind. Michael Storer, Ben O'Connor and Derek Gee are all within three minutes of the Austrian and could play a role in the key moments.

But whom does Gall himself view as biggest threat to fulfilling his goal: to finish on podium? "I'd say Jai Hindley. Along with Pellizzari, they have two very strong riders, and it seems like Pellizzari is really riding for him. To me, Jai seems to be the stronger of the two, especially in the mountains," Gall estimates.

So far, Gall has been quite convincingly the second strongest climber in the race, behind Vingegaard, but does he even consider dethroning the Dane, or does defense take priority?

"The main objective remains, of course, the podium. That was already our ambition before the start of the Giro, and that hasn't changed. There's still an extremely difficult week ahead, and the gaps behind me aren't huge. Nothing is decided yet for the podium, so it's really not the time to take any unnecessary risks. And even if I wanted to try something against Jonas, I don't really see how I could beat him or put him in difficulty right now."

And neither does Gall see any cracks in Visma's support of Vingegaard with excellent Davide Piganzoli often among the best uphill: "They clearly have the strongest team in this Giro, and Jonas is the strongest rider in the race. Along with Tadej Pogacar, he's probably the best Grand Tour specialist in the peloton today. So I don't really see how I could beat him. Personally, I'm mainly focused on myself and fighting for a podium finish."

The organizers will have no mercy with participants in the last week of this year's Giro. The week kicks off in Switzerland with a summit finish to Cari. Then follow two unpredictable hilly stages before riders return to mountains to complete the brutal "queen" stage 19 and wrap things up on Piancavallo day later.