Thomas, Roglic, Hart, Almeida. Here’s who can win it – Corriere.it

Evenepoel and Vlasov sent home (the Russian, sickly but not infected, abandoned the race after a few kilometres) the 106th Giro d’Italia in the hands and legs of the four men who, after yesterday’s deluge stage, are separated by only 22 ”: the pink Geraint Thomas, Roglic (+2”), Geoghegan Hart (+5”) and Almeida who closes the row.

Amidst Covid which continues to frighten, between slip-ups and assorted unexpected events, writing the script for the next 11 stages is a gamble. The only certainty is that the two Britons have a numerical superiority with few precedents in the modern history of the Giro, thanks to three Ineos teammates in the top 11 of the general classification, a sign of a uniformly high form condition: certainly an advantage — he explained the pink jersey — which could only come back to haunt us if someone’s personal ego overflows. But not our case.

Ineos masters all for one, one for all but it is clear that a victory in the Giro would count for a lot both for Thomas (who at 36 years old would put the trophy in the living room next to that of the 2018 Tour) and for Geoghegan who would make a match with that of the 2020. Primoz Roglic looms over the couple, who has not been able to shake off the label of eternal loser since Pogacar robbed him of a 2020 Tour that seemed to have already been won. Liège, the Olympic gold in the time trial and the three Vueltas do not compensate for that beating, the victory in the Giro would help him metabolize the disappointments, he who now seems out of the game to aim for the Tour.

The fourth man, on paper the least quoted, Joao Almeida. The Portuguese is a smart, complete runner, an excellent climber but also good against the clock. One of his wins or a podium would compensate for those he missed in the Giro in 2020 (4) and in the Vuelta two years later, where he finished 5.
Racing in the UAE, he only gets the races rejected by Pogacar and the Giro would be the right opportunity to demonstrate that he is not just a reserve captain, with the help of a much more solid team than Roglic’s Jumbo. Difficult to hypothesize alternatives to the magnificent four for the final victory. But Damiano Caruso (5 at 1’18” from Thomas) has another chance after his 2nd place in 2021. The Ragusan also has the final time trial on Lussari on his side. At 35, the only blue hope.