"This is definitely a red carpet for Tadej Pogacar" - Laurens Ten Dam weighs in on Giro d'Italia

Laurens Ten Dam hosts the Live Slow Ride Fast podcast and there, the Dutchman - who is now an avid gravel racer - has talked about the upcoming Giro d'Italia. On his mind for the race is only one name, with no surprise: Tadej Pogacar.

"This is definitely a red carpet for Tadej Pogacar. In Italy they are certainly not averse to pampering a champion who appears at the start," Ten Dam said in the Live Slow Ride Fast podcast. "I think Pogacar's team also had some extra starting money for letting Tadej start, who would like to win both the Giro and the Tour de France. It is nice for him that this Giro edition contains 6,000 fewer altitude meters than last year. Also just look at ride one. The last climb was actually fifteen kilometers from the finish, but the organization added another climb." This comes as a benefit to the Slovenian who also hopes to perform at the Tour de France later in the year. He is also benefited by the extra week of rest this year between them.

Ten Dam argues that Pogacar could very well win the opening stage, where a climb was added only recently: "Someone like Biniam Girmay will be disappointed about that. He first thought: oh, this is a stage for me, but in the end he was turned down by Tadej. They just added that last minute. The organization therefore really wants Pogacar to be on the honors list. From start to finish in pink is certainly an option. In any case, I don't see who can threaten him for the pink. Apart from falls and illnesses of course. It always has to be ridden first."

"It doesn't really matter to me," Ten Dam said of the very modest startlist when it comes to GC contenders excluding the UAE Team Emirates rider. "With cycling, it is always fun. Look, for example, at the Amstel Gold Race, which was less occupied than Liège-Bastogne-Liège. But in the Amstel it was exciting until the end. So it certainly won't make me any less excited."