"We will see what we can do in the GC, but it’s not a goal" - Jan Hirt into Giro d'Italia top-10 after brutal opening weekend
Cycling
Having not necessarily come with GC ambitions, the fact that Soudal - Quick-Step still have a man in the top-10 of the Giro d'Italia general classification after a brutal opening weekend is no mean feat.
“It was a hard and stressful stage. Actually, this whole opening weekend was a very tough one," reflects 33-year-old Czech, Jan Hirt to the Soudal - Quick-Step team's official website after a 10th placed finish on stage two was enough for the climber to move up to 8th overall, 1:11 down on race leader Tadej Pogacar after the opening two stages.
"Maybe things will be calmer now that there are some gaps between the climbers," Hirt concludes. "I usually don’t have a good start in a Grand Tour, so I am quite happy after these two stages. We will see what we can do in the GC, but it’s not a goal now.”
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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Phenomenal effort of @HirtJan on the first summit finish of the #Giro 👊 The experienced Czech came home in 10th place and moved up to 8th on the general classification 🙌 Photo: @GettySport
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