"The Giro is the most unpredictable Grand Tour" - Tejay van Garderen previews EF Education-EasyPost's Maglia Rosa chances

With the 2023 Giro d'Italia now just days away, EF Education-EasyPost's sports director, Tejay van Garderen has been previewing the hopes of the team that traditionally wears pink, of winning the traditional Maglia Rosa.

"There are roughly 6 to 7 riders who win all races these days, but you can't think like that," says the American, former Giro stage winner tells Renaat Schotte. "You have to seize the opportunities and sometimes you have to improvise, think outside the box and everyone can be beaten on any given day. The Giro is the most unpredictable Grand Tour. It's so hard to control this race. Yes, there are 2 top favourites, but there are always surprises."

In Hugh Carthy and Rigoberto Uran, EF have two general classification riders who are no strangers to the podiums of Grand Tours. "When Rigo starts, he has a protected status, but Hugh has shown that he is in good shape," van Garderen explains. "Whether we see that Carthy again? He looks very relaxed and has a lot of confidence. He asserts himself and he is a real leader."

"I myself was a time trialist and a classification rider, but I hated those climbing chronos. Fortunately, Hugh likes that and Rigo is also good at it," he continues. "But what Evenepoel says is true: you can still lose minutes. The Giro is designed to keep it exciting until the end. There will be racing as far as Rome, the Giro is not over after the first week."