Cycling Weekly – August 22, 2019

Cycling Weekly | August 22, 2019 | 33

CONTENDERS

PODIUM POSSIBLES

Outsiders

The South A mericans are queuing up
to make a clean sweep of the Grand
Tours this year, but it ’s been three
years since Nairo Quintana won
one, and almost as long since he’s
even come close. Recent outings in
the Tour and Vuelta have tended to
be characterised by inconsistency;
slipping out of contending the overall
win, only to bounce back days later
for sublime attempts at stage wins.
But Quintana has a reputation for
getting better towards the back end of
races. Maybe, just maybe, the Vuelta’s
onslaught of mountain days could play
in the 29-year-old’s favour.

Miguel A ngel López won both his

home tour in February and the Volta

a Catanlunya in March, but his tilt at

the Giro overall was a disaster in three

parts. The Colombian lost over four

minutes in the stage nine time trial,

suffered an untimely chain derailment

at the first sniff of high altitude and

then was floored by a way ward fan

as he tried to salvage something on

its last climbing showdown. A high

mountain specialist who made a

Grand Tour breakthrough with two

stages in the 2017 Vuelta, Lopez will

be looking to improve on last year’s

third place.

A fter a breakthrough 2018 Giro in

which he used his uphill turn of speed

to win a stage and take fourth overall,

R ichard Carapaz rode last year’s

Vuelta in a support role. But having

returned to this year’s Giro and won

overall in a commanding fashion,

the Ecuadorian is likely to stick his

neck out a little bit more this year.

Of course his squad are also fielding

Nairo Quintana, A lejandro Valverde

and Marc Soler. But in all fairness,

it was a harmonious dual-pronged

approach from the Spanish squad that

helped make Carapaz’s Giro win look

so comfortable.

Ph

ot

os

Yu

zu

ru^

Su

na

da

MIGUEL ANGEL LOPEZ

Astana | Col

RICHARD CARAPAZ

Movistar | Ecu

NAIRO QUINTANA

Movistar | Col

After a strong showing in the Giro

d’Italia, Hugh Carthy will be looking

to underline his Grand Tour potential

once again. Alongside

the Briton and Urán, EF

Education First also field

Tejay van Garderen and

young Colombian talent

Sergio Higita. Bora-

Hansgrohe present another

small pool of outsiders with

Rafał Majka and Davide

Formolo. Rarely

are either

consistent

enough

to endure a full GC

campaign, but they

often become

dangerous stage

chasing disruptors.

Esteban Chaves

(Mitchelton-

Scott) marked

an emotional

comeback from

Epstein-Barr virus

when he won a

stage at the Giro.

Whether he’s ready to contend the

overall remains to be seen.

Days racing in 2019: 58

Wins in 2019: 2

Podiums in 2019: 1

Days racing in 2019: 58

Wins in 2019: 5

Podiums in 2019: 2

Days racing in 2019: 50

Wins in 2019: 3

Podiums in 2019: 5

Carthy: ace climber

Chaves: back in the running