High expectations, but Plapp (Jayco-AlUla) and Hayter (Soudal-Quick Step) already switching to plan B in the Giro

Plapp came in 93rd and lost 5 minutes and 35 seconds. Jayco-AlUla had said just two weeks before the Giro that a final decision about GC ambitions would be made late, after Plapp had undergone wrist surgery earlier this year following a relatively successful Australian campaign. Stage 1 already showed just how much that surgery had set him back. “The year started great, but after the surgery I had a lot of days doing nothing and missed many races in Europe,” Plapp told Cyclingnews.

He was originally set to ride the UAE Tour and Paris-Nice, but instead raced in Hellas, where he did win a stage, and more recently in Romandie. “So I’m still relatively fresh, and training has gone well so far. I’ve been building up day by day and I’m curious to see how I feel on the bike during the first week. Hopefully I can perform well in the second half of the Giro. Saturday’s time trial doesn’t suit me, I'm more focused on the one on stage 10. I’ll keep building steadily and won’t go into the red in the first week. Last year I finished in the top 5 three times, maybe this year I can win a stage.”

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For Ethan Hayter, Friday’s opening stage of the Giro d’Italia was even more of a struggle. The fast Brit crossed the line in 179th place, 17 minutes and 23 seconds down. Alongside Mikel Landa’s abandonment, it was a bitter blow for Soudal-Quick Step. “I didn’t feel good, I was feeling bloated and had trouble breathing,” Hayter told Cyclingnews afterward. “We’ll see how it goes, but when your stomach’s off, it’s hard to eat or drink properly. With Mikel dropping out, it definitely wasn’t the best start.”

Hayter is normally a strong time trialist too, but it seems unlikely he’ll be in top form for Saturday’s stage. It’s another setback in a year where he had hoped to take a step forward with his new team. “I haven’t been as good as I hoped. I wanted to be fighting for more wins, but I just haven’t been strong enough. I’ve been able to help my teammates, but I got sick a few times and never really found my rhythm. My preparation wasn’t ideal either, but hopefully I’ll grow into the race, because I know I can do better than what I’ve shown so far.”