Which Italians should we be looking out for?
Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida)
With a host of Grand Tour victories under his belt, including his status as defending champion, the pressure is on for Nibali. From Messina, in Sicily, Nibali is one of very few cyclists to have won all Grand Tours (the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta d’Espagne). The Giro this year will be going to his hometown and Nibali has revealed that, as a result, he will be focussing his attention on defending his title rather than going for the Tour de France. Watch out Quintana!
Fabio Aru (Astana)
Despite a difficult year last year with a disappointing finish in the Tour de France, Aru is ready to fight this year. With the race starting in Sardinia where he grew up and Giro results in 2014 and 2015 of 3rd and 2nd respectively, Aru has good reason to go into the 2017 race with confidence that he will be donning the pink jersey for the final stage in Milan!
How can I watch the Giro?
If you want to practice your Italian, keep track of the race using La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Italian sports newspaper that not only founded the race but also gave the winner’s jersey its iconic pink colour, chosen to reflect the pink pages of the newspaper. If not, many websites will be Live Streaming the race.
Emily Spearpoint-Walsh
Photo: procycling.nl
Photo: Cycling News
Photo: carrentalinsardinia.com