"Primoz Roglic is mentally tough. Juan Ayuso can be a bit of a whiner" - Thijs Zonneveld sees clear favourite for Giro d'Italia GC

When it comes to the fight for the Maglia Rosa at the 2025 Giro d'Italia, two names stick out in most experts analysis - Primoz Roglic and Juan Ayuso. According to Thijs Zonneveld however, it's Roglic that is the clear favourite of these two.

"I’m expecting a head-to-head battle, and my pick is Roglic. He was stronger than Ayuso in the final stage of the Volta a Catalunya, especially on those punchy climbs around Barcelona," begins the analysis of the 44-year-old Dutch ex-pro turned expert for Eurosport.

Both Ayuso and Roglic can count on the support of an all-star team around them at the coming Grand Tour, but according to Zonneveld, the strength of the team can only take you so far. "Of course, Ayuso has an absolutely monster team around him, but Red Bull has a solid lineup too — with Dani Martínez and Jai Hindley supporting Roglic," Zonneveld notes. "Their spring season wasn’t the best, but if things start clicking and Roglic hits his top form, I’d bet on him."

It's also on the mental aspect where Zonneveld favours Roglic over Ayuso, with the experience and nous of the five-time Grand Tour winning Slovenian giving him the advantage over his 13 years younger rival. "He’s mentally tough," Zonneveld explains. "Whereas Ayuso can be a bit more of a whiner. Bad weather or a crash... Roglic handles those things better."

"But Ayuso still has room to grow — he’s very young," counters Zonneveld's colleague Jip van den Bos, though, seeing opportunity for the Spanish leader of the UAE Team Emirates - XRG team. "He’s having a great season — he’s already won Tirreno–Adriatico. And he’s got top-class support riders like Adam Yates, Jay Vine, and Isaac Del Toro. It’s a star-studded team. That won’t be the problem," she concludes firmly.