CyclistCyclists Giro dItalia 2024 predictionsIts that time of year again. The three week races are back, and you know what that means: all out racing for 21 days, action, drama chaos, heroes, underdogs, upsets, intrigue, and Tadej Pogaar wrapping up the GC by day two.While everyone and their dog (apart from one brave soul below) will tell you Pogaar is going to romp home to a debut Giro dItalia victory this month, weve gathered our freshly beefed up collection of self-proclaimed experts to predict who is going to win maglias rosa, bianca, ciclamino and azzurra, plus one extra thing they believe is written in the stars to happen. Warning: dont use these predictions for betting purposes, the people below know just as little if not less than you. Related Posts 5 storylines to follow at the Giro dItalia 2024 Who are the favourites for the Giro dItalia 2024? How to watch the Giro dItalia 2024 Giro dItalia 2024: Route, how to watch, start list and everything you need to know Will Strickson, website editorGeneral classification: Tadej Pogaar (UAE Team Emirates)Its the obvious choice but this is a serious game, Im taking no chances and Tadej Pogaar is one of those rare favourites that you can actually root for. The only way he doesnt win is if he crashes out, which wouldnt be good for anyone (you dont want to win the Giro with an asterisk). And as the compiler of this article Ive put my own predictions at the top and therefore can legitimately make the claim I got there first. Young riders classification: Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma-Lease a Bike)This is going to be a two-way battle between Uijtdebroeks and Thymen Arensman, and I think the work hell have to do for Geraint Thomas will compromise Arensmans legs and desire to fight for white. Uijtdebroeks also has the fortune of getting a free ride to see what he can do here without Vismas biggest names holding him back to domestique duties. I reckon hell end up on the overall podium in Rome.Points classification: Biniam Girmay (Intermarch-Wanty)The key here is making it inside the time limit. Pogaar will want stage victories and hes unlikely to wait to outsprint whatever small group he can ride with to the end. That means the hardest stages will be fast and well see several of the main sprinters either give up the ghost or finish outside the time limit before the final day especially with the last mountain stage a savage double-dip of Monte Grappa leaving Bini with ciclamino.Mountains classification: Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech)Hes surely not going for GC and hes the best pure climber here bar Pogaar. I dont think hell target the jersey, but hell want stage wins on the hardest days and if hes within reach near the end why wouldnt he want to have a go at it? This prediction does rely on Pogaar letting breakaways sweep up plenty of points to diminish his own chances, but thats possible, and if Woods can get a couple of big summit finishes and a sweep of the Monte Grappa points it should be within reach.Extra prediction: Marco Frigo, hometown heroOn the way to bagging the mountains jersey, Woods is going to be riding with Italian teammate Marco Frigo, dragging him to the finish at his home in Bassano del Grappa. Pogaar will be close behind on the climb and I think hell catch the pair before the end, but being a good guy and Frigo being so determined, its Marco mayhem to close out the Giros real stages.Pete Muir, editorTim de Waele/Getty ImagesGC: Tadej Pogaar Its hard to look past him for the overall (sorry Geraint), even if hes holding something back for the Tour de France. That said, I bet on him for the win at the last two Tours, and look where that got me.Youth: Cian Uijtdebroeks The 21-year-old Belgian wonder-kid is being let off the leash for the first time at a Grand Tour and will be keen to impress in the absence of teammate Jonas Vingegaard.Points: Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep)Hes a sprinter on form, with a hatful of wins already this season and a team that will be desperate to remind everyone that it used to be the pre-eminent sprinting force at Grand Tours.Mountains: Tadej PogaarHell just win it by accident as he cruises alone across the mountain summits of Italy.Something weird that will happen: One of my predictions will actually come true for the first time in ages.Martin James, production editorMike MassaroGC: Tadej Pogaar So good is the mercurial Slovenians form right now that Id back him against any opposition, but in a Giro starting line-up notably lacking in serious top-level competition, and over a parcours that looks well-suited to him, Pogaar looks all but unbeatable. The fact that its nearly three full years since his last Grand Tour win (the 2021 Tour) is almost shocking given his performance levels over the past four seasons, and hell be desperate to end that barren run and claim the maglia rosa on his Giro debut.Youth: Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious)The young Italian goes into the Giro having finished thirdoverall (and claiming the best young rider prize) at the Tour of the Alps recently, and showed his potential over three weeks by classifying18thoverall on his Grand Tour debut at last years Vuelta. The potential is clearly there, and having been named team leader by Bahrain Victorious for the Giro, Tiberi will be keen to repay that faith with a strong performance.Points: Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike)Kooij is making his Grand Tour debut at the Giro after garnering plenty of praise, and a fair few wins, as one of the most promising young sprinters in the peloton for a couple of years now. And with Visma arriving at the Giro without big names Vingegaard, Van Aert, Kuss and Jorgenson, there should be plenty of firepower around him on the flat stages to support his bid for points and stage wins.Mountains: Romain Bardet (DSM-Firmenich-PostNL)Backing the enigmatic Frenchman is always abrave call, but Bardet is in good form and the fact that so many of the Giros big climbs come in the final week should work in his favour, especially if Pogaar has run away with the GC at that point, leaving Bardet free to chase down points at will.Other prediction: Jonathan Milan to win in RomeIts not quite as neat a fit as predicting Pello Bilbao to win a Tour stage in Bilbao last year (which, unsurprisingly, he didnt), but its not my fault the Giro organisers have chosen to finish the race in Rome for the past two years instead of Milan, so itll have to do.Robyn Davidson, editorial assistantLuc Claessen/Getty ImagesGC: Tadej PogaarThe overwhelming favourite heading into the Giro dItalia. Pogaar will have a target the size of the Stelvio on his back, but I imagine thats all people will see when he ventures off on more of his solo breakaways that no one can bridge to. Much like the 2020 Tour de France, he will win this Grand Tour on his debut.Points: Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)Winner of the points classification at the Giro dItalia in 2023, Jonathan Milan will repeat the feat this year for his new team Lidl-Trek. Hes already won the points classification at Tirreno-Adriatico, albeit against Juan Ayuso and Jasper Philipsen, neither of which are at the Giro this year. Hell bag around three stages too.Mountains: Romain Bardet I predict Romain Bardet will finish the Giro dItalia on the podium, but not before raking up mountains classification points in the process. Its easy to see Pogaar holding on to this by default as he takes the maglia rosa, but Bardet will have a couple of good stages in the final week that boosts his standing in the mountain goat competition.Youth: Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers)Youngsters rejoice! Tadej Pogaar is now too old for the white jersey at the Giro dItalia. How time flies. This will be an interesting fight to watch. Thymen Arensman finished second in this classification last year and will be in the mix again while helping Geraint Thomas where possible at Inoes Grenadiers. Antonio Tiberi is a strong shout for Bahrain Victorious, as is 21-year-old Cian Uijtdebroeks, who will be racing his first Grand Tour as part of Visma-Lease a Bike.Something to look forward to: Vibes Classification returnsMy hotly contested Vibes Classification will return. Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) topped the standings at the 2023 Giro dItalia through his breakaways and tenacity, facing tough competition from second-placed EF Education-EasyPosts Ben Healy in the process. But with neither lining up this year,who will take over? I cant wait to see. (Lock in the Paret-Peintre brothers for this -ed.)Ewan Wilson, staff writerAlex Broadway/Getty ImagesGC: TadejPogaarThe Giro is Pogaars to lose. The boy prince has shown little to no signs of weakness so far in 2024. Bar his Tour defeats in the hands of Jonas Vingegaard, Pogaar has been in a class of his own on the Grand Tour stage. A tailor-made opening week gives Pogi the chance to spring into the pink jersey early on. From there, I expect UAE to control this race with a fine-tooth comb courtesy of the under-rated pairing of Felix Groschartner and Rafa Majka.Youth: Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers)Sixth at the last two Grand Tours hes finished, Thymen Arensman is a solid pick for the maglia bianca. The Dutchman could gain a big chunk of time on his rivals in the time-trials, and his GC position is unlikely to be compromised if Geraint Thomas is going well.Points: Jonathan Milan The sprinting field at the Giro is incredibly robust. However, the fastest and crucially, most reliable in this bunch this year has to be Lidl-Treks Jonathan Milan. Reliability is key in this prediction. Tim Merliers results in Grand Tours yo-yo, Olav Kooij is unproven, and Fabio Jakobsen has a habit of raising the white flag when he loses his lead-out. A more watertight lead-out this year should pilot Milan to dizzying heights at the 2024 Giro, notably with the support of his track teammate, Simone Consonni.Mountains: Christian Scaroni (Astana Qazaqstan)Like pinning a tail on a donkey blindfolded, predicting the maglia azzura is almost as tough as winning it. I am going to go bold and put my faith in Italys Christian Scaroni. Call me delusional, but I can see him as a perennial figure in the breakaways.Other Prediction: Kevin Vermaerke will win a stageI could have gone safe with this, but I have full faith in DSM-Firmenich-PostNLs Kevin Vermaerke. The Californian has had a strong 2024 to date, with some under-the-radar consistency. I sense a Nico Denz-style Giro for Vermaerke. A valiant teammate in the shadows, the 23-year-old will sneak his way into some lucky breakaway moves and could even have a chance to slip on a pink or white jersey if Pogaar is feeling generous in the opening week.Laurence Kilpatrick, staff writerGonzalo Arroyo Moreno via Getty ImagesGC: Dani Martnez (Bora-Hansgrohe)Starting as I mean to go on by backing horses Id like to see triumph, rather than those that actually have a chance, Im throwing heart throb Dani boys cap into the ring. My favourite precious-metal-wearing hunk of the peloton looks to have put the indifferent slow-release-of-air departure from Ineos behind him and is threatening to do the sort of bits that saw him up at the greasy end of the GC pole a couple of years back. Maybe if he sheds the 2kg gold ingot from his necklace and the adamantine smoulder off his face hell be more of a force in the mountains.Youth: Cian Uijtdebroeks With a name like a kleptomaniacs handbag at the end of a dictionary jumble sale, young Cian looks like a pretty decent bet to at least give the apple cart a kick, if not totally upset it. Points: Jonathan Milan If someone could just fit a neck brace to Jonathan the nodding dog Milan and maybe cable tie his ears to his armpits, I think hed be drowning in UCI victories. As it stands hes often like one of those runaway riderless horses on the grand national who is still incredibly fast but, well his kingdom for a navigator. If he can effectively funnel his bucking bronco watts towards the finish line, then hes nailed on for some more glory.Mountains: Hugh Carthy(EF Education-EasyPost)A long term favourite of mine, this northern tarmac muncher is sort of like Everton football club: never really troubling the scorers but wholeheartedly refusing to get relegated. Id like to see the wind-tunnel data for his giant parachute of a mouth as it hangs open on these epic European mountains. There are basking sharks trawling the sea floor with more manners than Mr Carthy. For a man who looks like hes made out of four pipe cleaners and a conch, he shouldve delivered more glory than that haunting victory atop the hideous Angliru. Pronto Hugo!Something Weird:Geraint Thomas gives up the ghost after two stages and switches jobs with a soigneur in order to maximise time for creating his podcast banterthon. Related Posts 5 storylines to follow at the Giro dItalia 2024 Who are the favourites for the Giro dItalia 2024? How to watch the Giro dItalia 2024 Giro dItalia 2024: Route, how to watch, start list and everything you need to know The post Cyclists Giro dItalia 2024 predictions appeared first on Cyclist.