Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) and Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) could be called the two protagonists in the battle for the general classification of the 106th Giro d'Italia. In the end, it was the Slovenian who came out on top. Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) also had reasons to celebrate, as he finished fifth in the overall classification and claimed the mountain classification. However, there were also several riders who managed to surprise us, either out of nowhere or as dark horses. IDLProCycling.com has prepared an overview of the six Giro revelations who stood out!
We could think of no better rider to start off this list than the 25-year-old rider of Israel-Premier Tech. While Gee, the current Canadian time trial champion, was initially only known by a few hardcore fans, the avid birdwatcher has emerged as a star in just three weeks' time. From the early breakaway, Gee managed to finish second four times and fourth twice. Due to his relentless attacking spirit, team manager Sylvan Adams' protégé also found himself in the upper echelons of multiple classifications. However, fittingly enough, even in those rankings, Gee had to settle for silver medals. He finished second in the mountain classification, points classification, intermediate sprint classification and breakaway classification! The only prize that Gee did win was for the most combative rider of the entire Giro. Gee has certainly scored points with many cycling fans!
After his particularly strong spring season, there were already certain expectations for Ben Healy's performance in the Giro d'Italia. However, the slender Irishman managed to surpass the expectations, which were already quite high for some, in different stages. The 22-year-old climber of EF Education-EasyPost tried to be part of the breakaway in almost every stage, and remarkably, he succeeded quite often. This led to an impressive solo victory in stage eight. In the Tour of Lombardy stage, Healy - who always sits on his bike in a characteristic manner (leaning slightly to the left) - narrowly missed the win. Healy also consistently made his presence known in the battle for the mountain classification, even wearing the 'la maglia azzurra' (blue jersey) for two days. In the end, he secured a third-place finish in that classification.
Prior to the Giro d'Italia, Nico Denz, a lover of Schlager music, was not exactly an unfamiliar rider. However, the BORA-hansgrohe cyclist was primarily known as a domestique or strong time trialist, occasionally grabbing a win here and there. In the Giro d'Italia, he showcased such impressive form that he claimed victory not once, but twice, from the early breakaway. The amiable and ever cheerful German rider demonstrated exceptional tactical skills and certainly deserves a spot in this list of Giro revelations!
Denz managed to claim two victories
Filippo Zana was already a familiar name among many cycling enthusiasts, especially since he became the Italian champion in 2022. However, the Team Jayco-AlUla youngster surprised both friends and foes with his impressive performance in the Giro, showcasing his strong legs in multiple ways. The 24-year-old rider from Thiene joined the breakaway on several occasions, which already led to a commendable third place in the stage won by Healy. Throughout the three-week race across the Italian boot, the home rider consistently made his presence known. In the first Dolomites stage of the Giro, Zana even hit the mark by defeating Pinot in a sprint duel.
"I just wanted to show myself as much as possible in the attacks, and navigate the race in a good way. In the fourth stage, I took over the pink jersey. It was truly incredible," said Andreas Leknessund of Team DSM-Noor, who had the honor of wearing the pink jersey for a remarkable five days. The 24-year-old climber riding for the Dutch team quickly shifted his focus to achieving a good overall result in the general classification, contrary to the initial plan. And he succeeded: Leknessund finished the stage race in eighth place overall, just one second behind Eddie Dunbar, who deserves at least an honorable mention in this list. Leknessund is likely to also participate in the Tour de France, where he will form a formidable climbing duo with Romain Bardet. Exciting times ahead!
Jonathan Milan had a strong start to the calendar year 2023, evident from his victory in a stage of the Saudi Tour in February (where he defeated Dylan Groenewegen, for example). He also aimed to showcase himself during the spring classics. However, his results were somewhat disappointing, except for his twelfth-place finish in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. He also failed to finish several one-day classics, which lowered expectations for the Giro. However, it turns out there was no need for doubt after all, as the Bahrain-Victorious sprinter immediately claimed victory in the first road stage. Similar to Gee, the powerhouse sprinter secured second place in the mass sprints four times. While an additional victory eluded him, his high placings earned him enough points to comfortably add the points classification victory to his list of achievements.