OPINION | Without Tadej Pogacar the Giro d'Italia 2024 would have been a disappointment

Gone is a Giro d'Italia 2024 that has been completely conditioned by the investment of 2 million euros that the organization decided to spend to attract Tadej Pogacar. Without that investment, the race would have been a real disappointment, having seen the weeks that Daniel Martinez, Geraint Thomas, Ben O'Connor and company have given us.

And, mind you, I am not criticizing these riders for the results obtained by each one of them individually. I criticize them for the lack of spectacle offered during the 21 days of competition, completely embarrassed by the superiority of the Slovenian. Thus, we cannot fail to praise Dani Martinez's first podium in a grand tour, G's third place at 38 years of age or O'Connor's fourth place after his horrible last Tour de France. Nor the fifth place of Antonio Tiberi who, it must be said, was the only one who tried (not too much, but that's something).

The problem is that none of them offered any kind of show. None of them tried even once, even if it would have been to prove that they were better than their earthly rivals (we already know that Tadej was in another league). They offered us nothing and I'm afraid that without him we would have had a boring Giro like the one won in 2023 by Primoz Roglic.

It's worth continuing with the top 10 by talking about the sixth place of a very irregular Thymen Arensman in the mountains who should leave INEOS as soon as possible. Regarding Einer Rubio, Movistar got what they wanted: to put him in the top 10, but the Colombian leaves without having been in a photo of the race: not a single breakaway. He didn't finish higher because he was by far the worst of the favorites in the time trials. Nor did he break away like Bardet or Zana. So, good sensations for him, but no show or interest in winning a stage.

The top 10 was closed by Jan Hirt, a combative but weak Romain Bardet and a Michael Storer who gave what he could to give valuable points to Tudor. Filippo Zana and Lorenzo Fortunato were left out, who "played" for the overall and did not opt to try to win stages as in other years. So, we have reviewed the 11 strongest riders of the Giro after Tadej who have given us ABSOLUTELY NOTHING of spectacle during the whole race and that is worthy of note.

Once again, I said: thank you Tadej Pogacar for coming to the (millionaire) call of RCS. Thank you, without you the Giro d'Italia would have been unbearable; Article written by Juan Larra of Ciclismoaldia