Mike Woods headlines our roster, fresh off his second place finish at Liège-Bastogne- Liège. Hugh Carthy, Nate Brown, Sacha Modolo, Tom Van Asbroeck, Mitch Docker, Tom Scully, and Joe Dombrowski join the Canadian.
The Giro d’Italia ventures out of Europe for the Grand Depart. The race begins on Friday May 4 with a time trial in Jerusalem. Two road stages in Israel follow before the peloton travels to Sicily for stages four – six. The peloton will reach mainland Italy for stage seven on the second weekend of racing.
Below, you’ll find our rider-by-rider take on the upcoming Giro, with some insights from our Giro sport directors Fabrizio Guidi and Juanma Garate.
Mike Woods (CAN):
“My big goal for this Giro is to get a stage win. I haven’t won a WorldTour race yet, and with 21 stages on tap, I’m hoping I can win one of them.”
Garate on Woods: “The Giro is going to be another step in Mike’s career. After a difficult start for him this season, I think he arrives in Israel exactly as we wanted. If he enjoys every day, if he continues to feel like he is living his dream, I believe this next month will be a really successful one.”
Hugh Carthy (GBR):
“My goal is to support the team’s goals in helping Mike achieve a high position on the general classification. I’d like to play an important role for him in the high mountains and show what I’m capable on over the steepest terrain. If I get the opportunity to have my own success on individual stages, I will take it and race aggressively.”
Garate on Carthy: “If there is one race on the calendar that fits Hugh’s characteristics, that race is the Giro. He will have his opportunities, especially on the long climbs in the second part of the race. We need to pay attention to ensure that he doesn’t lose too much energy in the first part of the race so that he can make the difference in the last breakaways of the race.”
Nate Brown (USA):
“This is my third Giro, and I’m super excited to be back. My personal ambitions center around helping Woods however I can. He’s riding super well, and I would love to help him get a result. If the team gives me the opportunity to get into a break or two, I would love to win a stage.”
Garate on Brown: “I would like to see some extra character from Nate in this coming month. With him, I believe if he wants, he can. He has to have confidence in himself and feel the confidence we have in him so that he and his teammates can enjoy his experience to be in the right moves. When Nate is switched on, he is very capable.”
Sacha Modolo (ITA):
“My ambition is simple. I want to win a stage.”
Guidi on Modolo: “Sacha is our sprinter, and the course of the Giro adapts to his characteristics. He has a lot of experience and is obviously highly motivated.”
Tom Van Asbroeck (BEL):
“I’m focused on getting the best possible results for the team.”
Guidi on Van Asbroeck: “Tom had an unfortunate start to his season, and the Giro will help him find the right condition. He will be crucial in supporting Sacha in the sprints.”
Mitch Docker (AUS):
“My personal ambitions are to set up Sacha for a stage win. To see an Italian winning a stage of the Giro in #PinkArgyle would be a dream come true.”
Guidi on Docker: “Mitch has athletic qualities to support our leaders, and his strong personality will be able to give structure and cohesion to our Giro group.”
Tom Scully (NZL):
“I think my strengths lie in assisting Mitch and TVA in the lead-out for Sacha on the sprint stages. I’ll also help out the climbing crew wherever possible.”
Garate on Scully: “Tom is a really important piece in our Giro puzzle. He did the cobbled classics, and he really knows how to position himself and his teammates in the bunch under stressful conditions. This is super important for Sacha and Mike. If Tom finds himself in the breakaway and it’s his day, watch out.”
Joe Dombrowski (USA):
“Nothing is too set in stone. Normally I come good in the third week. Winning a big mountain stage would be great.”
Guidi on Dombrowski: “Joe is an athlete who adapts extraordinarily to the ‘Alpi’ difficulties. He won the Baby Giro, and we are convinced we will see him with the best riders on the most difficult mountain days.”
DS Juanma Garate (ESP):
“I’m Mr. 26. I’ve raced 26 Grand Tours. To do a good Grand Tour, you need to know your body really well. You need to know when you can go deep and when not. And you need to have an overall picture of one race of 21 stages and not 21 races of one day. To be successful is really simple and really complicated at the same time, but I can repeat the same words that Pietro Algeri, my first sport director, told me in the radio many times when I was targeting the general classification on a Grand Tour: “Manuel, non mollare!”
DS Fabrizio Guidi (ITA):
“When I think about the Giro, I see myself as a child in front of the TV looking for the pink jersey. Then, I see myself still as a child but this time at the edge of the road, and I’m looking for the pink jersey. I’m strongly and emotionally linked to this race because my life was marked by the Giro. It doesn’t take long to understand what I can feel sitting in the team car.”
EF Education First – Drapac p/b Cannondale for 2018 Giro d’Italia:
Sport Directors:
- Juan Manual Garate (ESP)
- Fabrizio Guidi (ITA)
Riders:
- Nate Brown (USA)
- Hugh Carthy (GBR)
- Mitch Docker (AUS)
- Joe Dombrowski (USA)
- Sacha Modolo (ITA)
- Tom Scully (NZL)
- Mike Woods (CAN)
- Tom Van Asbroeck (BEL)
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