Slovenians Tadej Pogacar has long stood as a standout figure in professional cycling, earning the green light to race in Italy for the first time in his career. The moment is notable not only for Pogacar’s ambitions but also for the broader context surrounding the Giro d’Italia, an event that has faced questions about its future amid a calendar that remains densely packed with major races and Olympic-year pressures. This year, the Giro’s presence feels particularly consequential, as it marks a rare convergence of a homecoming for a rider of Pogacar’s caliber and a critical test of the race’s viability in a crowded modern schedule. The excitement around this Italian return is amplified by the fact that the 107th edition will unfold at a time when the sport is reassessing how it positions grand tours within the Olympic cycle and a busy early-season calendar.
This season’s plan for Pogacar has been carefully watched by fans and experts alike, as the rider prepares to line up in a Giro that is expected to deliver both tactical intrigue and personal milestones. The organization of the event itself has confirmed its place on the calendar, setting the stage for a championship-style performance that may redefine Pogacar’s trajectory. In a year when the Paris 2024 Olympic Games looms in the rearview mirror for many cyclists, the Giro’s status as a premier proving ground is underscored by its own evolving narrative. This race will not only test Pogacar’s endurance and strategic prowess but also illuminate how a rider who has already conquered the Tour de France and the Vuelta España can adapt to a demanding Italian route with its unique climbs and stage profiles.
The 107th edition, commonly referred to as the “Corsa Rosa,” will conclude in Rome on May 26, just weeks before the Tour de France begins. The looming question remains whether the Giro will maintain its relevance and structural viability in the face of ongoing debates about its future, including sponsorship considerations, route planning, and the broader health of stage racing. The race’s finish in the Roman capital will cap a route designed to balance tradition with modern demands, offering climbers and all-round riders alike an arena to showcase their form. For Pogacar, the image of closing the Giro with the same finish line that has symbolized greatness for generations will be steeped in meaning, potentially signaling his readiness to extend his impact across two of cycling’s most prestigious events in a single season.
In the lens of Pogacar’s career, the Giro marks a deliberate step into a terrain where fatigue, recovery, and race intelligence intersect in compelling ways. It will be his professional debut in the Giro while he is already familiar with the aura of the race’s history and its storied hills. Having previously taken part in the Tour de France four times (from 2020 through 2023) and the Vuelta a España in 2019, Pogacar is navigating a schedule that rewards versatility and resilience. The decision to pursue the Giro-Tour double reads as a bold strategic statement, one that positions him as a principal rival for the overall title and a potential catalyst for discussions about how the double can be achieved with a sustainable approach to training and recovery. The coming Giro is expected to test not only his physical limits but also his capacity to balance multi-week campaigns across different terrains and climates, a challenge that has defined Pogacar’s ascent in recent years.
This edition makes the Giro particularly intriguing because its routing has been described as having almost 10,000 meters less climbing than in some past years. Such a profile could alter the tactical calculus for teams and riders alike, potentially narrowing gaps and allowing different specialists to come to the fore. For Pogacar, the lighter climbing workload might offer a more favorable platform to extend his form across the race’s stages while reserving energy for the decisive moments. The dynamics of this route are expected to influence how teams pace themselves, manage time losses, and deploy their strongest climbers at specific points on the parcours. The interplay between route design and rider conditioning will be a focal point as the peloton navigates a course that rewards smart planning and clean execution just as much as raw power comes into play.
With a clear aim to claim the Giro-Tour double, Pogacar enters this Giro as a favorite in the eyes of many observers. The prospect of him donning the Maglia Rosa in Rome and continuing the legacy of a double winner resonates with the historical echoes of the sport. The reference to Marco Pantani, who stood as the last rider to achieve the Giro-Tour double in 1998, adds a layer of era-defining significance to Pogacar’s potential accomplishments. The pursuit of this historic feat would not only elevate Pogacar’s standing in contemporary cycling but would also rekindle conversations about the physical and mental endurance required to sustain high-level performance across multiple grand tours within a single season. In this light, the upcoming Giro is more than a race; it is a pivotal chapter in a career that many expect to redefine the boundaries of what is possible in the modern era of cycling.