Giro d'Italia 2023: Tao Geoghegan Hart can be 'right behind' Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel, says Philippe Gilbert

05.05.2023 - 09:03 eurosport.com

The Giro d'Italia 2023 could see a three-way GC battle between Britain's Tao Geoghegan Hart, Primoz Roglic (Team Jumbo Visma) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), reckons Philippe Gilbert.

Roglic and Evenepoel are the pre-race favourites in many people's eyes, including Jumbo Visma rider Tobias Foss, who will be absent after testing positive for Covid-19.

Ad But after his victory at the Tour of the Alps, Ineos Grenadiers' Geoghegan Hart — who won the event in 2020 — is in good form and could crash the party, reckons Gilbert, himself a three-time stage winner at the Giro.

Giro d'Italia‘Washed the doubts away’ — Evenepoel gears up for Giro d’Italia battle with Roglic11 HOURS AGO The Giro, the first cycling Grand Tour of the year, gets underway on Saturday in Ortona with an individual time trial, and concludes in Rome on May 28. «He is really strong,» Gilbert, speaking exclusively to Eurosport, said of Geoghegan Hart. «You saw how he did at the Tour of the Alps with two stages to go. »He has a strong team, a lot of confidence.

cycling Giro Remco Evenepoel Britain Italy Rome

Remco Evenepoel says his withdrawal from the Giro d'Italia was one of the «hardest setbacks» of his career and has hit back at some of the criticism he has faced. The 2022 Vuelta a Espana champion was one of the favourites for the Giro but was forced to withdraw after contracting Covid-19 in a big shake-up to the race. Ad The 23-year-old then came in for a remarkable amount of criticism for the decision, with Italian newspaper Gazetta dello Sport suggesting he would have «found it hard to accept defeat and preferred to leave the race with the pink jersey and two wins in the two time trials».

Eddie Dunbar riding through the pain in remarkable Giro effort

Eddie Dunbar is six days away from becoming just the third Irish rider to ever finish inside the top 10 at the Giro d'Italia, but he knows there's still a lot of road to travel yet this week.

Mads Pedersen withdraws from 2023 Giro d'Italia after falling ill overnight, from second in points jersey standings

Mads Pedersen has withdrawn from the Giro d’Italia after becoming ill with a cough and throat infection. The Danish rider’s team, Trek-Segafredo confirmed the news on their Twitter account on Friday morning. Ad The team wrote: “Unfortunately we have to report that @Mads__Pedersen won’t take the start at today’s stage of the #Giro.

Eddie Dunbar remains in seventh as Denz takes Giro sprint finish

Eddie Dunbar maintained his seventh position in the Giro D'Italia overall classification as Germany’s Nico Denz won stage 12 after outsprinting Toms Skujins.

Ackermann sprints to Giro stage 11 win after Geoghegan Hart crashes out

:Pascal Ackermann narrowly won Wednesday's stage 11 of the Giro d'Italia after former champion Tao Geoghegan Hart was forced out of the race after a freak crash on a slippery descent with around 70km remaining from the end of the 219km ride to Tortona.