Giro d'Italia 2023: 'Tough' to see Geraint Thomas on Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel's level says Alberto Contador

ByRob Hemingway

Updated 03/05/2023 at 08:25 GMT

We are just days away from the first cycling Grand Tour of the year, as a star-studded field gets set to take on the Giro d'Italia. Britain's Geraint Thomas, of Ineos Grenadiers, will be looking to challenge the two favourites, Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel, but Alberto Contador thinks it will be "complicated" for the 2018 Tour de France winner to challenge for the maglia rosa.

Geraint Thomas may struggle to keep up with Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel at the upcoming Giro d'Italia, reckons Eurosport's Alberto Contador.

Thomas finished third at last year's Tour de France, which was a commendable performance given the superiority of Tadej Pogacar and eventual winner Jonas Vingegaard.

But this season has not begun well for the 36-year-old, with a recurrent illness disrupting his race calendar.

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Thomas did, however, feature at the recent Tour of the Alps, but could only finish 15th, 1'38" down on overall winner and Ineos Grenadiers team-mate Teo Geoghegan Hart.

And it's that display in particular that has Contador feeling Thomas won't be in contention for the maglia rosa.

"Geraint Thomas is a rider of tremendous quality," Contador told Eurosport.

"We all know this, having seen the great results he has obtained, especially that victory at the Tour de France.

"But going by today, especially as we see his recent results for example at the Tour of the Alps, I think it is complicated that Thomas will be battling for the Giro d’Italia with Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel.

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"Two riders that are peaking right now, that seem to be flying and winning in most races they take part in. It’s tough for me to see Thomas at that same level."

Contador, assessing what success would look like for Thomas in Italy, concluded: "I think a good Giro for Thomas would be to be close to Remco and Roglic, competing with them."

Jumbo-Visma team's Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard (C) cycles ahead of Ineos Grenadiers team's British rider Geraint Thomas (L) and UAE Team Emirates team's Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar (R)

Image credit: Getty Images

The Giro will also be notable for the presence in the field of Mark Cavendish, making his first Grand Tour appearance for Astana Qazaqstan, and he will no doubt be determined to challenge for race victories in the sprints up against the likes of Fernando Gaviria.

While Roglic and Evenepoel are most people's favourites for the GC, they could well be challenged by the in-form Geoghegan Hart, as well as Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe).

The Giro begins in Fossacessia on May 6 with an individual time trial, and will conclude in Rome on May 28.

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