Bruyneel makes cautious prediction about Giro winner: "I think he’ll very likely come out on top"

Whereas on Wednesday, it was first INEOS that turned up the heat on the Mortirolo, but not long after, UAE took over control. This was partly because the expected attack from Egan Bernal never came, but also because the Emirati team wanted to ease the pace a bit. It appeared Del Toro wasn’t feeling his best, although the pink jersey still managed to close the gap fairly quickly after an attack from Richard Carapaz.

Still, Bruyneel suggested that this had been the plan all along. “If you listen to his post-race interview, that was the plan, not to react on the Mortirolo.” With a stage win at the end of the day in Bormio, the strategy clearly paid off. “Of course, it’s easy to say ‘yeah, that was the plan’ when it works. But if Carapaz had five minutes at the top, suddenly that doesn't sound like such a great plan anymore.”

After Del Toro’s dominant display, Bruyneel saw a new shift in momentum in this year’s Giro. “On Tuesday after the stage, we thought: okay, this is how it’s going to go… Carapaz keeps gaining time, and Del Toro is going to crack. After today (Wednesday, ed.), that’s no longer so certain.” Still, the general classification is far from settled, with two brutal mountain stages on Friday and Saturday looming. “Those two are totally different. Extremely tough,” Bruyneel said in anticipation.

Even so, the Belgian dares to make a cautious prediction. “As of today, I’d still say that Carapaz’s rising form and Del Toro’s leveling curve will intersect at some point. I think Carapaz is very likely to take control in the final two big stages,” Bruyneel predicts, tipping the Ecuadorian as the eventual winner in Rome.

While Del Toro bounced back after a rough day, things went from bad to worse for Juan Ayuso. The Spaniard finished Wednesday’s stage in Bormio a full 35 minutes behind his teammate, suggesting his form is continuing to decline. “It’s clear something is wrong with Ayuso,” observes Bruyneel. “He was incredible in the first part of the Giro, but ever since that crash, we’ve seen him go up and down. His energy is gone.” Still, the Belgian sees value in the experience: “It’s part of his learning process.”

Another rider having a similarly mixed Giro is Egan Bernal. The Colombian from INEOS Grenadiers has been active, often attacking from far out, and currently sits sixth in the GC, 4 minutes and 43 seconds behind Del Toro. “Personally, I think he’d be better off racing with the top contenders rather than launching attacks 50, 60, or even 80 kilometers from the finish,” says Bruyneel, who still sees a strong finish in Bernal’s future. “He should end up third or fourth in this Giro.”