Bardet's ‘last dance’ must bring points and glory to Picnic PostNL at the Giro: "We’ll go through fire for each other"

The team leader is Romain Bardet. The Frenchman, who won a stage and wore the yellow jersey at last year’s Tour de France, will begin his final grand tour in Albania. The 34-year-old climber hopes to deliver one more strong performance and secure the best general classification result possible.

When it comes to stage wins, the spotlight shifts to a Dutchman: Casper van Uden. He’ll face tough sprint competition from the likes of Olav Kooij and Milan Fretin. In the sprint train, Van Uden can count on support from fellow Dutchman Bram Welten, as well as German rider Niklas Märkl, both of whom are also included in the Giro squad.

Bardet will also receive support from another Dutchman: Gijs Leemreize. In addition, the Frenchman will be backed by Australians Chris Hamilton and Alex Edmondson. Promising British rider Max Poole is also part of the selection. He’ll be allowed to go for his own chances during the Giro, as team director Matt Winston explained on the team website.

“Max is entering the Giro to test himself over three weeks. On top of that, we’ll be looking for opportunities in the hilly and mountainous stages to fight for stage wins and top finishes.” But the general classification is also a key focus for Winston. “Just like last year, we want to deliver the best possible GC result as a team, with Romain as our leader. It will be a special moment for him, his final grand tour.”

The team director praised the squad’s solid preparation leading into the Giro and emphasized that teamwork will be crucial. “In the sprint stages, Casper is our finisher, and the team is already well-coordinated after the prep week in Turkey. The key will be working together as a unit, and we’ll need to go through fire for each other every day. If we do that, we’ll be able to look back on a strong Giro once we reach Rome.”