"With the legs I have, I'm ready to race aggressively" - Julian Alaphilippe targeting stage wins on Giro d'Italia debut

For the first time in his career, Julian Alaphilippe will be at the startline of the Giro d'Italia on May 4th. After showing some good legs at the recent Tour de Romandie, Alaphilippe is confident he can complete his set of Grand Tour stage wins.

With a stage from the 2017 Vuelta a Espana and six stages from the Tour de France over the years, just a Giro d'Italia win is missing from the palmares of the two-time former world champion. "I'm going to take the race as it comes. To be honest, I haven't even opened the stage book yet," Alaphilippe says ahead of his Giro debut, in conversation with L'Equipe. "Winning a stage is really my goal."

With stage 1 a potential day for the puncheurs, the 31-year-old Frenchman might not have to wait too long for his first Giro stage win. If he could take victory on the opening day, the Maglia Rosa would of course come with it. "The pink jersey? I'm not even thinking about it!" Alaphilippe insists however.

Nevertheless, after showing some good signs in the Tour de Romandie following an injury-disrupted Spring Classics campaign, Alaphilippe is upbeat about his prospects of ensuring a successful Giro d'Italia. "With the legs I have, I'm ready to race aggressively," he concludes. "My style suits this type of race. The way I race has always been a bit all or nothing."