Brescia warmly welcomed the 153 riders who will compete at the 2024 Giro d’Italia Women, which begins on Sunday with a person time trial to set the tone for the battle for the maglia rosa.
Twenty-two teams had been offered on stage at the Piazza della Loggia.
World Champion Lotte Kopecky took to the microphone to reply questions from the organisers for the crowds throughout a query-and-reply session whereas her SD Worx-Protime teammates had been launched on stage.
Cyclingnews has highlighted Kopecky as one in every of the favourites for the total classification, given her success at the Tour de France Femmes final yr and in shorter levels races this season. However, she mentioned that she would love to win a stage and construct her kind forward of the Olympic Games.
“The Giro d’Italia is an exquisite race that has lengthy been a part of the calendar in ladies’s biking. My first win in the Giro was an vital second in my profession,” Kopecky mentioned.
“First and foremost, I need to come out of the Giro higher than I began it. And not to get sick. By struggling in the eight race days, I hope to take the remaining step conditionally in direction of Paris 2024.
“It will probably be a sort of robust coaching block. I haven’t got ambitions for the remaining classification, however I do have intermediate targets. I would love to win a stage. That could be very nice.”
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The occasion’s dwelling favorite is Italian champion Elisa Longo Borghini, who strains up with a robust Lidl-Trek workforce that features the maglia bianca of the 2023 version Gaia Realini, and two former world champions Elisa Balsamo and Lizzie Deignan.
“We have all the pieces we want to goal for stage wins and for the normal classification. Looking to the course, it’s going to be an attention-grabbing Giro. The opening ITT is, proper from the begin, a key day for the normal classification. There are 4 troublesome levels to observe, not tremendous exhausting however undoubtedly hectic and with difficult finishes the place we will by no means let our guard down. These will probably be good alternatives to attempt to dash with Elisa or, maybe, search glory with a breakaway,” mentioned Lidl-Trek director Ina Teutenberg.
“The final three levels will probably be the decisive ones for the GC. The queen stage on Saturday, with the double climb to Blockhaus, will probably be the most vital day. But the final day should even be held in excessive regard. It will probably be something however a procession. I count on a tough-fought Giro to the final kilometre, and we will probably be prepared to play all our playing cards.”
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