Preview: What you need to know about stage 2 of the 2022 Giro d’Italia
Preview: What you need to know about stage 2 of the 2022 Giro d'Italia
Date: Saturday May 7
Start: Budapest
Finish: Budapest
Distance: 9.2 km (ITT)
Much like the opening stage, this short TT effort is mostly flat, until the final few kilometres. That final ramp is about 1.5 km at 5% with a section reaching 14% right at the start. The maglia rosa might change hands here, but it might not …
Who’s it for: The time trial specialists, but the short distance probably opens up the list of possible contenders a little.
Dane Cash’s picks: Tom Dumoulin (Jumbo-Visma) is probably the favorite for a surprisingly open race. Dumoulin has, of course, won time trials at the Giro before, and he’s a capable climber who shouldn’t be bothered by the upward kick in the finale. That said, form remains a bit of a question mark for Dumoulin. Meanwhile, there is no doubt that Dumoulin’s Giro-leading countryman is in flying form right now.
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) hasn’t really raced that many top-tier time trials in his career so far, but he has the engine to contend in a stage this short. The other big name to watch on Saturday is João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates), who might prefer a longer TT but is still very much a potential winner here. Other contenders include Edoardo Affini and Tobias Foss, both of Jumbo-Visma, Italian TT champ Matteo Sobrero (BikeExchange-Jayco) and the versatile Magnus Cort (EF Education-EasyPost).
