??? GIRO 2019 ???

May has arrived and farmers, as the saying goes, are eagerly awaiting the heavens to provide them with the last rains before summer arrives.

Cycling fans are awaiting, with the arrival of this month, our own special May rain, the Giro d'Italia, before a summer that promises to be long and boring. After an intense season of classics, spring reaches its climax with the most anticipated Grand Tour battle of recent years. The 2019 Giro d'Italia has something special about it. You won't find a single fan who looks forward to the Tour more than the Corsa Rosa. This year, the big prize is in Italy. And the main contenders for the Grand Tours have understood this.

The Giro is the main protagonist of the cycling calendar this year in terms of participation and route . We know that yellow is yellow, and undoubtedly the winner of the Grande Boucle will be considered the season's winner in the eyes of casual spectators. But since this blog is for cycling enthusiasts, I can freely say that this year's Tour de France will be the second (or third, who knows) Grand Tour in terms of merit and importance. Many of the contenders in this Giro will double in France in the summer, but their priority is the pink race.

Stake

The Giro d'Italia's participation is extraordinary . It could certainly be better, but the bulk of the top racers (and especially the most accomplished) this year have opted for the Giro d'Italia.

Who would have thought a few years ago, with such lackluster participation, that we'd seen Ryder Hesjedal win this race, or Thomas de Gendt take a podium finish (yes, de Gendt was once fighting for the overall title)? Without taking anything away from these two great cyclists, they're nothing like what we'll find at the start of the Giro this year. Ineos/Sky aside, we have the best and most complete Giro riders.

Tom Dumoulin

I have to say that Dumoulin's announcement to come to the Giro was a huge surprise for me. He's a rider who has proven he can do double duty between May and July, but I didn't expect him to repeat that. Winning the Giro is very difficult, but he's already proven he can do it. According to Dumoulin himself, he reached his limit at the end of the Tour.

But the Dutchman isn't the kind of cyclist who shys away from major challenges. The Giro is the love of his life, and he doesn't plan to stop fighting for it. Despite having been somewhat in the shadows this spring (logical if you want to double the Giro and Tour), for me he's still the favorite for this race.

Primoz Roglic

Roglic is a blessing for all of us. And a huge threat to the rest of the cyclists who aspire to win Grand Tours. His great skills are complemented by the mentality of a true shark, akin to Bernard Hinault. He wins in every way. He attacks, literally, without looking back. Something that, although it may seem so, isn't prohibited in the peloton. Big words, certainly. But what the Slovenian cyclist is doing this season is certainly big words. He's won almost everything he's raced. His record in one-week races is terrifying, and winning the Giro would be the icing on the cake for a perfect season.

The problem, for me, lies precisely in having been too exposed in the spring. It's not normal to be in such good shape all spring and then be at the top of your game by the end of May. Besides, the Giro concentrates all the high mountain events in the last week. It could feel long.

Simon Yates

We can't leave him out. He was the true dominator of the last Giro until the Big Bang at Finestre. He won the last Grand Tour without breaking a sweat. This year, however, he's not as scary as Roglic. I have doubts he can handle this Giro, as the high mountain stages are nothing like what he encountered in the last Vuelta.

Vincenzo Nibali

"He's been on the decline. He's done nothing since the Tour. He didn't do anything in the Classics. He wasn't even seen at the World Championships. He's a lucky guy. He won the Tour by chance."

People talk, and the shark responds on the road, giving his all to his big goals. Have no doubt that Nibali will turn everything upside down . Respect to a cyclist with three Grand Tours and two different Monuments.

True Climbers

Along with these big names, we can't forget two climbers who, if they show their characteristic mountain prowess, will be eating at the presidential table. I'm talking about Mikel Landa and Miguel Ángel López . Both cyclists have a podium finish in this race. The Astana rider, like his entire team, has had a very scary start to the season. The Movistar rider, on the other hand, is coming into the season with a low-key preparation, with no major victories and hardly any presence in the big races in these first few months, in addition to suffering from falls that have delayed his plans. However, he has left a good impression in recent weeks. And he wears the number 1 jersey. Landa will be in the mix. All I ask is that he doesn't have any falls, illnesses, or punctures. I want to see him fighting without any setbacks. Although he's already had the first, with the absence of Alejandro Valverde, a figure who was going to be key in this race.

Sprinters

The main protagonists in the opening days will be the top sprinters. We'll witness another duel between the two riders who are starring in what we can now call the classic sprint race this season: Viviani versus Gaviria . Ewan and Demare will also try their hand at it.

The meat is ready. The fire is lit. Set the table, buy a good wine or beer, and get out your best dishes. The best tour in recent years is about to begin. The Giro d'Italia.