If the combat for the pink jersey does play out as anticipated on the Giro d’Italia with Tadej Pogačar dominating the general competitors from begin to end, one of many key storylines to deal with may very well be who wins the perfect younger rider’s white jersey.
Pogačar’s eligibility to win Grand Tour white jerseys expired when he turned 25 in September after he grew to become virtually synonymous with the classification, profitable it at every of the Grand Tours he has began in his profession.
He was the Tour de France’s finest younger rider for 4 years working and did it by over 5 minutes on every event. His domination of the classification was so robust that stage 2 of this 12 months’s Tour de France will really be the primary day on the Tour a rider not named Pogačar has led the youth classification since stage 12 of the 2020 version.
Now seeking to develop into the following maglia bianca winner can be an entire host of younger expertise together with, Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma-Lease a Bike), Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) and Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla).
Uijtdebroeks leads Visma’s GC hopes and was eighth general at his Grand Tour debut in final 12 months’s Vuelta whereas Plapp has made a robust step up in 2024, taking sixth at Paris-Nice after a stint within the yellow jersey.
Last 12 months’s white jersey winner João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) isn’t current in 2024 however the runner-up was Arensman. He labored effectively to assist Geraint Thomas end in second general, whereas additionally sustaining his personal general place to take sixth on GC.
Among the final 4 winners of the youth classification have been two general winners on the Giro, Tao Geoghegan Hart and Egan Bernal, displaying simply how a lot earlier GC riders are getting in form to contest the most important races.
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The three riders talked about above gained’t strictly be chasing white however will all be aiming for the highest 5, podium or greater on the Giro throughout the three weeks, with Arensman once more getting ready to play a key assist function for Thomas’ general hopes.
They after all gained’t be alone of their problem as Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain-Victorious) seems to be the primary Italian to win the maglia bianca since Fabio Aru managed the feat in 2015.
He confirmed robust legs on the Tour of the Alps to complete third general behind former finest younger rider on the Giro, Juanpe López (lidl-Trek), who gained the classification in 2022.
Alongside him can be two different up-and-coming Italians who confirmed their nice type within the five-day Alpine race, Giulio Pellizzari (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) and Davide Piganzoli (Team Polti Kometa).
The pair each completed within the prime 10 on the Tour of the Alps and completed second and third general respectively ultimately 12 months’s Tour de l’Avenir behind Isaac del Torro (UAE Team Emirates), displaying themselves to be prime youth skills.
Also rising as a brand new choice to probably declare the jersey is prime German expertise Florian Lipowitz (Bora-Hansgrohe), who introduced himself to the WorldTour ultimately week’s Tour de Romandie.
The 23-year-old completed third general simply 9 seconds off general winner Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers) and confirmed simply what he was able to within the mountains. He’ll make up a part of a Bora squad driving for Dani Martínez however may very well be an actual menace on GC and for the white jersey if given the liberty.
The maglia bianca, an emblem of the long run to return, is now a relentless on the Giro d’Italia because it was reintroduced in 2007 and gained by Andy Schleck, who went on to win the Tour de France three years later. Other prime riders who’ve gained the maglia bianca embody Richie Porte in 2010 and Rigoberto Uran in 2012.
Half of the final 12 winners of the white jersey have been Colombian with Nairo Quintana, Miguel Ángel López and Carlos Betancur additionally claiming the prize within the 2010s simply as Bernal and Uran did.
It’s the most recent of the 4 jerseys on provide on the Giro after being initially launched in 1969 for simply neo-pros, earlier than growing into an armband for 2 seasons within the early Seventies after which into the jersey as we all know it immediately in 1976. In 2024 it would have a sponsor within the type of meals retailer Eataly.
“The jersey for the perfect younger rider is white, similar to the sum of all colors,” reads the jersey info within the Giro roadbook. “It holds all hopes and desires. It is, without delay, a prize and a want. A clean web page for a brand new, thrilling chapter to be written.”
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