OPINION | Enric Mas should have raced the Giro d'Italia in view of the modest roster of stars beyond Tadej Pogacar
Cycling
Leaving aside Tadej Pogacar, clear favorite to win, the Giro d'Italia 2024 has one of the poorest startlists in its history in terms of classification riders. Tadej is not only a favorite because he is always a favorite in grand tours (except against Vingegaard), but also because the rivals are not even second level. We believe that Movistar Team could have changed their calendar plans and included Enric Mas in the Italian race.
And if you look at the list of "favorites" for the maglia rosa that the Giro itself proposes, beyond Geraint Thomas there is no respectable name according to CiclismoAlDia's Juan Larra. And the Welshman is a year older than in 2023, when he finished the race completely sunk in the decisive time trial against a Primoz Roglic who rode at half throttle.
As third in discord the Corsa Rosa bets on Cian Uitdebroeks, whose start of season with Visma - Lease a Bike is being discreet and who last year was far from Enric in the Vuelta a España. Fourth is Ben O'Connor. The Australian is a great climber, but has been very unreliable in the last Tour de France, always failing in important stages, so we can not say that today he can put Pogacar in any trouble and Enric could not beat him.
The last "favorite" pointed out by the organization is Romain Bardet, who has long since "retired" from the fight for the general classification and has made it clear that he is going to the race to try to win a stage victory.
Taking a look at the list of participants we find names like Daniel Martinez, Antonio Tiberi, Alexey Lutsenko, Juan Pedro López or Jan Hirt, all cyclists inferior in grand tours to the Mallorcan.
MISSED OPPORTUNITY
Thus, we think that Movistar Team could have bet on the Colombian block for the Tour de France (although we do not know if ASO would have been happy to see Nairo back in the Grande Boucle) and on Enric in a Giro in which he would have been a clear favorite for the podium.
That would also give him more time to prepare for what is always his big goal every year, a Vuelta a España in which he is sure to find a much more complicated line-up than he would have found in a Corsa Rosa that without names like Primoz Roglic or Remco Evenepoel is much more lackluster than in 2023 despite the presence of Tadej Pogacar.
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