Eurosport analysts predict the Giro's final week, with a surprising pick for stage 19

The final week of the Giro d’Italia is just around the corner, and in a little under a week we will know what the final classification in Rome looks like. Until then, the riders still have a few tough mountain stages to get through, starting with Tuesday’s. What can we expect from the closing week? Bobbie Traksel and Lars van den Berg discussed it on the Kop over Kop podcast.

In the pink jersey, Jonas Vingegaard goes into that final week, and the Dane has already said he has marked a few stages for the last week as well. Will we see him come out swinging on Tuesday’s stage? "Vingegaard does not necessarily need to win, but because it is such a short stage and because so many teams will want to get into the break, the first part will go very fast," Traksel predicts.

And that could easily suit Vingegaard again, because: "Then it will stay together for a long time, so a breakaway will not build up too much of a lead by the time you reach the foot of the final climb. Then a situation arises in which Vingegaard can win. I have confidence in that for him."

If a break does get away, Van den Berg expects the usual names. "There are also some riders in the breakaway who can do that. It will probably be the same riders again, like a Ciccone or a Rubio. Otherwise it will probably be Vingegaard again; I’m counting on that."

Traksel expects not much to happen in the classification on Wednesday in stage 17, nor in stage 18 on Thursday. But in the brutal stages on Friday and Saturday, almost anything could happen. As Van den Berg concludes: "It is still pretty close, from Gall in third to Piganzoli in tenth. That is about three minutes."

So the Dutchman still sees plenty possible there. "There is quite a bit still possible. If one man has a bad day, or Eulálio can completely blow up there if he cracks once. Only from Ciccone onwards, who is 22nd at 24 minutes from Vingegaard, is it far back. But if an Arrieta, who is 20th at 14 minutes from Vingegaard, can get across one time and take back minutes, then he is suddenly in the top ten as well."

"There is still plenty possible if you go with it once," Van den Berg repeats. "For the final week, it is still very exciting for the top ten and for the podium."

Traksel can see it that way too and knows: "Maybe Decathlon or Red Bull will force the race hard, to drop Eulálio. That is their aim. Not to attack Vingegaard, but to put everyone on the limit."

"Because the podium is there," the commentator continues. "I’m looking a bit less far, more at Storer, seventh at 4:46 behind Vingegaard. That is two minutes from Gall, whom I’m taking as my number two of this Giro in the end. That seems a bit logical to me. But Red Bull really have to do something, with places five and six now. They all have to ride."

So, predictions, gentlemen? "Up to Storer, those are the riders who can still make the podium," Van den Berg judges. Traksel, meanwhile, still sees Egan Bernal making a move, for example on Friday. "That is a day when it will be ridden hard from the start. Bernal could then sneak along, from 7.5 minutes back. He sits just a bit further down and then gets the chance to go with the team. That way they put everyone under pressure and he can still take a step."

And for the rest? "After that I can hardly see it... everyone is probably happy as well, I think. Everyone outside the top five, six, seven, let’s say," Traksel concludes.