Giro is taking a break to move to Italy and face the challenge of Etna

After the dispute in the first three rounds in Hungary, The Giro d’Italia will face its first day off on Monday. It was a day of transition to the transalpine country, where on Tuesday high mountains to end the first week which is expected to begin to make a difference among men in the general classification.

The action was seen in the first three days of the race, with big names as leaders Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) seen already in the initial stages and had a time trial on Saturday that established the first differences in the overall classification. In almost the entire future trial, however, they were not very significant, but they served to establish a first order in the fight for the ‘pink jersey’.

Van der Poël he hasn’t let it go since he clinched it in his stage win on Friday. Simon’s Yachts (BikeExchange), eleven seconds behind the leader, is the first candidate for victory to appear in the overall standings, although many contenders will take the leader’s jersey this Tuesday. Tom Dumoulin (Jumbo-Visma) was third, sixteen seconds behind Van der Poel, Wilco Keldermann (Bora-hansgrohe) fifth to twenty-four o Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) eighth to twenty-eight, among other favorites.

But the candidates following them are also not far away. Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious, 9th at 0:29), joao almeida (UAE, eleventh at 0:29), Vincenzo Nibali (Astana, twelfth at 0:30), Richie Porter (Ineos, thirteenth at 0:33), Romain Bardet (DSM, fourteenth at 0:35) or Richard Carapaz (Ineos, fifteenth at 0:35) is also well positioned. In the Spanish key, more time left, 44 seconds, a Mikel Landa | (Bahrain Victorious) twenty -one.

But the differences are minimal and can explode in a week with crucial stages. The first, this Tuesday, at fourth stage between Avola and Nicolosi with great ascent to Etna as the first top finish of the race. will be 22.8 kilometers on average 5.9% and ramps up to 14% in its most difficult section which will surely give a noticeable turn to the general.

Ang battle between sprinters and escape will mark the day on Wednesday, with 174 kilometers to Sicily, between Catania and Messina, and a port in the second half. Yes it seems clear sprint finish on Thursdaywith an almost flat 192 kilometers between Palmi and Scalea, with a fourth-class port at the beginning.

The weekend, again, the mountain will return. On Friday, the seventh round between Diamante and Pontenza, with first, second and two thirds. On Saturday, the profile is steep but there are no major ports in Naples. This will be the beginning of another big day of the week, on Sunday, with a ninth stage starting in Isernia with a third and two second start and two top climbing ends, the Lanciano and the high end of the Blockhaus. This is another important day in the race.

This way, the first day off will serve this Monday for cyclists to catch a breath to finish a very demanding first week, with the high mountains on Tuesday and Sunday as the main course. Because, despite the fact that these were the first days of the race, Giro clarified its toughness from the start: there are no days off on the road.