Giro Expert Preview - Stage 16

Gianni Savio explains:

This is a stage for a breakaway. I don’t think the few sprinters left can handle the last steep hill so a break will have good chances of succeeding this time. 

It’s close to impossible to pick a favorite for such a stage since everybody wants to get in the erly break, but to be honest I think it’s a good stage for my own riders like Miguel Angel Rubiano, Jackson Rodriguez & Fabio Felline. We hope for glory!

Giro Expert Preview - Stage 15

Gianni Savio explains: 
This stage will give us the 2nd photo of the Giro. It’s a very, very hard stage and we will now see which riders won’t be able to win this Giro. If you already is one minute or one and a half minute behind the favorites on the last climb you will never see them again. I don’t think a break will make it again this time. This stage is for the favorites to fight for.

That doesn’t mean it will be easy to pick a winner though. Cycling is a beautiful sport because anything can happen, still I wouldn’t be surprised if the winner of this stage will turn out to be the future winner of the Giro as well. It could be Michele Scarponi.

Giro Expert Preview - Stage 14

Gianni Savio explains:
Now it begins! The last climb to Cervinia isn’t very hard though so it all depends on if the favorites want to attack in the finish. I’m sure there will be established a breakaway in the beginning of the stage and if that break gets 12-13-14 minutes it’s possible it could make it with two or three minutes in the end. I wouldn’t be surprised if we get two races in the race. One for the stage win and one for the overall classification.

It’s difficult to pick out a favorite. Many riders want to the be in the break but if the peloton catches the break on the last climb it could be a good chance for my team leader José Rujano.

Giro Expert Preview - Stage 13

Gianni Savio explains:

The stage starts with a lot of climbing so if a strong breakaway gets a good gap they could make it since the stage isn't very long. That being said I still think it will end up with a mass sprint in Cervere.

Mark Cavendish is once again the big favorite!

Giro Expert Preview - Stage 12

Gianni Savio explains

Here we have another stage for a breakaway to make it. I’m sure some of the strong guys who aren’t aiming for the overall classification will try to get away. The last part of the stage is very hard and I hope for my riders to be in the front again.

I would therefore like to pick one of my own riders as the favorite for this stage as I think Fabio Felline could do something important on a stage like this one.

Giro Expert Preview - Stage 10

Gianni Savio explains:

This is a very dangerous stage. All the GC-riders must pay attention because you can easily lose some seconds in the end. In Assisi I expect a war between the big riders. It depends on the results but I think that Ryder Hesjedal will keep thjey Pink Jersey. The last kilometers are very hard though and there are no doubts about who the favorite is. 

Purito Rodriguez is the man to beat. Michele Scarponi is also a good rider for this kind of stage, but Purito is the man who can make the difference on the last km. Our tactic will be to stay alert in the front of the peloton and try something with Fabio Felline in the end. Or maybe with José Rujano. You can say it like this; Purito is “sure”, Felline is “maybe”. 

You can read Gianni Savio's view of the 1st week of Giro d'Italia by clicking here.

GIRO EXCLUSIVE - Gianni Savio sums up the 1st week of Giro d'Italia

Despite bad luck for José Serpa, team manager
Gianni Savio still smiles and hope for another
stage win in the final two weeks of the Giro.

Just like last year Androni Giocattoli managed to take a stage win early in the Giro d’Italia. Miguel Angel Rubiano won stage 6 after a long breakaway and on stage 9 youngster Fabio Felline took second place after Francisco Ventoso.

Needless to say, team manager - and Giro Expert during the race on this site - Gianni Savio is very satisfied with the first week of the Italian Grand Tour.

“Rubiano’s win was very, very good for us after Serpa broke his finger and also today [stage 9]Felline was able to do good stage and almost got the victory. This has been a good first week I think”, Gianni Savio tells.

Unfortunately José Serpa hasn’t been able to do much good in the uphill sections ever since he broke his finger and that means that he Columbian now needs to get another x-ray in order to determine if he should continue in the race or not. Before the Giro started, Gianni Savio was expecting Serpa to do top10 in the overall classification but after a week of racing it could already be over.

Another rider who hasn’t been quite up there with the big favorites is team leader José Rujano. After 9 stages (yet not any real mountains) Rujano is 34th in the overall classification - 2,39 minutes behind maglia rosa Ryder Hesjedal. Gianni Savio explains:

“I think Rujano has had a normal race so far. He hasn’t been doing so well but he hasn’t been bad either. I think he is rider that will increase his condition during the Giro so we will wait and see what he can do in the last week. That is where you win the Giro”.

Thanks to Miguel Angel Rubiano’s stage win, Androni Giocattoli still has the blue mountain jersey to defend and according to Gianni Savio they won’t let it go cheap.

"This is definitely a goal for us now. We will try to keep this jersey all the way”, he assures.

Giro d’Italia continues Tuesday with stage 10 to Assisi and after being right about almost every single stage so far, you really shouldn’t forget to read Gianni Savio’s preview of the stage right here on C-Cycling later tonight.