Nach Weltmeister Alejandro Valverde (Team Movistar) muß mit Egan Bernal ein weiterer Topfahrer seine Teilnahme am GIRO 2019 absagen. Der Kolumbianer erlitt beim Training in seiner Heimat einen Schlüsselbeinbruch.
Und auch Gianni Moscon wurde vom Team INEOS ohne Angabe von Gründen aus dem Aufgebot gestrichen.
Bislang sind nominiert:
Pavel Sivakov, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Jhonatan Narvaez, Sebastian Henao, Salvatore Puccio und Christian Knees, der seine 19. Grand Tour in Angriff nehmen wird.

Optionen gibt es einige, z.B. Wout Poels oder auch der Italiener Filippo Ganna.

„Die Taktik wird sicherlich anders werden. Wir haben aber noch nicht darüber gesprochen aber es gab schon einige Meetings in den letzten Tagen“, erklärte Servais Knaven, einer der Sportlichen Leiter der britischen Mannschaft, gegenüber cyclingnews.com.
Eine Option wäre ja, den jungen Wilden Sivakov und Geoghegan Hart für die Gesamtwertung grünes Licht zu geben und auch mehr auf Etappenjagd zu gehen.
Team INEOS wird die Entscheidung in den nächsten 48 Stunden bekannt geben.
Text: Gerhard Plomitzer

6.5.2019:
Tao Geoghegan Hart and Pavel Sivakov, two of Team INEOS’ next generation of young riders, will lead the team at this year’s Giro d’Italia – the team’s first Grand Tour under new ownership.
The duo will be supported by a largely youthful looking lineup including six riders aged 25 or under, as the team returns to the race won in memorable fashion by Chris Froome in 2018.
Geoghegan Hart (24) and Sivakov (21) will be joined on the start line in Bologna on May 11th by Eddie Dunbar, Sebastian Henao, Christian Knees, Jhonatan Narvaez, Salvatore Puccio and Ivan Sosa.
The average age of the eight-man team is 25 years – the team’s youngest-ever Grand Tour lineup.
Geoghegan Hart and Sivakov made their Grand Tour debuts last year at the Vuelta a España, and impressed at the Tour of the Alps last month, with three stage wins and a one-two on the final GC.
Sir Dave Brailsford:
“Egan’s injury is a real shame as he was to lead the team in a Grand Tour for the first time. However, I’m sure he will be fighting fit come July.
We will not dramatically change our approach to the race as we will still look to give each rider the greatest developmental opportunities and to learn and gain as much experience as possible.“
“Eddie will now come into the Team for his first Giro and given his recent performances it is well deserved.”
He added: “We will not dramatically change our approach to the race as we will still look to give each rider the greatest developmental opportunities and to learn and gain as much experience as possible.
“Both Salvatore and Christian have been selected to add in a wealth of Grand Tour experience and to support the riders who will be racing for three weeks for the first time.”
@Teamineos