Cycling: The first half of the Giro d'Italia 2019 clearly belongs to the sprinters this year. The fastest men in the world can fight for stage wins on numerous stages. If you hold out until the end of the tour, you even have a chance of climbing the Maglia Ciclamino. In our preview, we take a look at what are probably the five strongest Giro d'Italia sprinters.
Pascal Ackermann: A victory in the first Grand Tour?
On May 11, the time has come: The Giro d'Italia 2019 begins. Also for Pascal Ackermann this will be a very special moment. The sprinter from Team Bora – hansgrohe will then start his first Grand Tour. Hard to believe, but the 25-year-old has never competed in the major national tours in Italy, France or Spain. Now it's time for the German champion. Much to the chagrin of teammate Sam Bennett. The Irishman has already won six races this year and was successful three times at the Giro d'Italia last year. But the team management of the Raublinger racing team opted for Pascal Ackermann. Now he has to deliver - like in the German one-day classic Eschborn - Frankfurt. He has a strong team at his side. Particularly important are Michael Schwarzmann and Rüdiger Selig, who should set the sprint for Pascal Ackermann in Italy.
Elia Viviani: Stage wins and the Maglia Ciclamino in sight
in the previous year Elia Viviani won the points classification of the Tour of Italy thanks to four stage victories. No wonder that for many experts he is the number one sprinter at the Giro d'Italia again this season. With his people from Team Deceuninck - Quick-Step he certainly has the strongest team at his side. Above all, fast pacer Florian Senechal and starter Fabio Sabatini will pedal for him on the flat stages. With four stage wins in 2019, Elia Viviani has already proven that he can be expected in mass sprints throughout the year.
Fernando Gaviria: The first big test in the new team
Since moving from Quick-Step to UAE Team Emirates things have been going on Fernando Gaviria difficult. Unlike before with the Belgian team, he does not have a complete team as a sprint train. Even if he is one of the fastest Giro d'Italia sprinters on paper, he will struggle against this strong competition. A lot depends on the driver Juan Sebastian Molano. If his Colombian compatriot gets him in the perfect position, Fernando Gaviria can show off his impressive final speed. The Swiss Tom Bohli also has an important role. On the flat he should take part in the tracking work in the peloton in order to make a mass sprint possible at all. Fernando Gaviria has three stage wins so far in 2019. Certainly his most notable success came on the UAE Tour, when he defeated the sprint elite in his team's home country.
Caleb Ewan: More than just a pure sprinter
The physique of Caleb ewan does not actually suggest that he is a sprinter. The Australian is only 1,65 m tall and weighs around 60 kg. This makes it significantly smaller and lighter than its competitors. For comparison: Pascal Ackermann weighs almost 20 kg more. Nevertheless, they will fight hot duels in the mass sprints at the Giro d'Italia. One of the reasons Caleb Ewan is so quick is because of his interesting stance. At top speeds, the little Australian leans so far over the handlebars that – to put it somewhat exaggeratedly – his nose almost touches the front wheel. He perfected Mark Cavendish's sprint style. Because of its low weight, it also gets over small hills relatively easily and can even compete with the elite in a short uphill sprint. He also has a strong team at his side in Lotto – Soudal. We definitely have to count on the 24-year-old for winning the Maglia Ciclamino.
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Arnaud Démare: Without a win for almost 9 months
Sprinters are actually characterized by the fact that the team bosses can schedule a certain number of victories per year. Over the course of a season, there are an enormous number of mass sprints. If the form and the sprint train are right, a good sprinter should not have a few wins. At Arnaud Demare from the Groupama - FDJ team, a lot of things don't seem to fit lately. Last year he was able to bring in three important victories. After the Tour de France, he only celebrated at lower-class races in France. So far in 2019 nothing is going well. Only three second places are recorded. Even against the second guard of sprinters, the 27-year-old seems to be losing out more and more often. In a recent interview, he himself admitted to having self-doubt. This is one of the reasons why he is now at the start of the Giro d'Italia. Here he wants to gain self-confidence for the upcoming Tour de France. In his career, however, this has not been crowned with success. Twice he was here in Italy without achieving a success. At least he can count on the total support of his team. Especially the Italian Jacopo Guarnieri will put himself in his service.