"That says there is more than just Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel" - Jose De Cauwer impressed by INEOS duo at the Giro d'Italia

As the battle for the Maglia Rosa began in earnest on stage 8 of the Giro d'Italia, INEOS Grenadiers duo Tao Geoghegan Hart and Geraint Thomas were right in the thick of it and Sporza analyst Jose De Cauwer was very impressed.

Joining Primoz Roglic when the Slovenian attacked, all three riders put time into the pre-race favourite Remco Evenepoel and although prior to the start of the Giro d'Italia, many saw it as a head-to-head battle for pink between Roglic and Evenepoel, De Cauwer was delighted to see INEOS come to the fore. "That says there is more than just Roglic and Remco Evenepoel," he explains. "It will be between them, but it is now possible that the Ineos two will play a very important role."

Roglic also made a big impression on De Cauwer as he reveals in conversation with Karl Vannieuwkerke for Sporza. "After what seemed super static yesterday, they showed something today. Certainly Primoz Roglic. And not by chance," he remarks. "It was really prepared. He let his team ride. People felt something that we obviously didn't see at home. And Roglic in the first place, we always think he is a follower, but he turned out."

For Evenepoel though the loss of 14 seconds is by no means a disaster, as De Cauwer is quick to point out. "A very bad day... He didn't really stop, it wasn't a blockage. But he was passed by the Ineos men and that was a bit strange," he says. "Evenepoel is the king of scheduling, of looking at the meter. He encountered himself and that is most likely a lesson."

"Does that mean he won't win the time trial tomorrow? Certainly not. That's perfectly possible," continues De Cauwer. "But it is a fact that extra people have gained confidence. And that makes the Giro even more fun and exciting."

The final point De Cauwer makes is that Evenepoel's weakness on stage 8 could have been a knock-on effect of the two crashes he suffered a few days prior. "That is certainly possible. We will certainly not be told how bad it was. And the fact that you are juggling a ball does not mean that there was no pain. It is possible that that blow will come a few days later," he poses. "But with or without a fall: nothing really changes. In a race of 3 weeks there are always moments that you don't expect."