Just two more days to go until La Grande Partenza, the official start of the 108th Giro d’Italia, which this year begins in the Bulgarian city of Nesebar. With Simone Gualdi, Lotto-Intermarché is also throwing a young Italian lion into the battle: “This is something I’ve dreamed about ever since I became a cyclist,” he says.
Toon Aerts, Arnaud De Lie, Simone Gualdi, Milan Menten, Lorenzo Rota, Jonas Rutsch, Joshua Giddings and Lennert Van Eetvelt. Those are the eight riders who will line up in Bulgaria on Friday for the 108th Giro d’Italia. Together, they form a balanced squad of sprinters, climbers and domestiques capable of performing on every terrain. It is the ideal puzzle for Lotto, which returns to the Tour of Italy after four years away. Intermarché, meanwhile, competed in last year’s edition.
With Toon Aerts and Simone Gualdi, Lotto-Intermarché has selected two Grand Tour debutants. Aerts will race three weeks at the highest level for the first time in his career. For Gualdi, there is an extra layer of significance, as the young Italian — only 21 years old — will begin his very first Grand Tour on home soil. “It means a lot to me to be at the start of the Giro d’Italia. It’s a race I’ve dreamed about ever since I started cycling,” he explains. “I’ve had a very good preparation and my fifth place in Eschborn-Frankfurt confirmed that my form is good. It’s my first stage race of this length, so we’ll see especially what the second half of the Giro brings. The fact that my family will come to visit at that point only motivates me even more. I’m really looking forward to discovering what I can do and what we can show as a team.”
With Lorenzo Rota, the team also has another experienced Italian rider at its disposal. Arnaud De Lie will be the team’s spearhead in the sprint stages, while Lennert Van Eetvelt will focus on the mountains. De Lie will be supported by Milan Menten and Joshua Giddings, riders who have already shown their strength across different terrains and race situations. The same applies to Jonas Rutsch. Van Eetvelt, meanwhile, can count on Lorenzo Rota and Simone Gualdi as strong allies in the climbs. Lotto-Intermarché heads to the start with a motivated and versatile team.
“With this selection, we are bringing a balanced squad to the Giro d’Italia,” says sports manager Kurt Van de Wouwer. “We have a clear card to play in the sprints with Arnaud, but at the same time we also want to give other riders the freedom to seize their opportunities. For Toon and Simone, this is an important step in their development. A first Grand Tour is always special, and we will support them as much as possible throughout the race.”
Liam Slock, who was also originally scheduled to ride the Giro d’Italia, unfortunately could not travel to Bulgaria. He fell ill after the Lotto Famenne Classic and was replaced by Joshua Giddings.
