“That is where he can already open it up for the first time,” he says. Gilbert, however, believes such a scenario could also work against him. “If he rides away long before the finish with four or five riders, the weight of the race will fall completely on his shoulders. He will have to do much more work on the front than the others. That is not ideal either. In his place, I would stay with my teammates for as long as possible.”
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Gilbert: “I do not even expect Skjelmose in the final”
Of course, Skjelmose cannot be forgotten. The defending champion was underestimated last year, something that seems less likely this time. On top of that, Benji Naesen believes he is not in the same form. “In the Tour of the Basque Country, he completely cracked a few times. And okay, those were already half-mountains, while the Limburg hills suit him better. But still…” Gilbert agrees. “I do not even expect Skjelmose in the final. At Lidl-Trek, they would be better off playing the Kragh Andersen card.”
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Praise for Del Grosso: “He could be on the verge of a breakthrough”
Oliver Naesen looks toward the French riders. He names Kévin Vauquelin as a podium candidate, but also points to a rider from his own team: Paul Lapeira. Gilbert also rates the Decathlon CMA CGM rider very highly. “Smart rider, fast at the finish and never does one pedal stroke too many. Who knows Lapeira outside France? That plays in his favour.”