Magnier feels ready to win after learning curve in Giro week 1: 'That’s where we can put others under pressure'

Magnier is making his Grand Tour debut at this Giro, but his ambitions over the winter were anything but modest. He put in serious hours in the gym to add some muscle, aiming to hold his own not just in tough finishes but also in pure bunch sprints. He struck early in the season with a win on stage 1 of the Etoile de Bessèges, but it was his performance in the classics that really turned heads. Magnier finished second at the Figueira Champions Classic, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Le Samyn, proving he hadn’t sacrificed any of his raw speed with the added strength work.

After a demanding winter, Magnier opted for a training block closer to home following Tirreno-Adriatico and three more classics. “I didn’t go to altitude, because I feel like we already spend plenty of time at training camps in winter and ahead of the classics. I wanted to train at home instead, also because mental recovery is really important. And I think that was absolutely the right call,” he told this website at his return in Eschborn–Frankfurt.

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He came into the Giro with sprint ambitions, but the opening weekend in Albania proved a bit too demanding for the young Frenchman. It wasn’t until stage 4, won by Casper van Uden, that Magnier joined the sprint action and finished seventh. Two days later, he stepped onto the podium with a strong third place in a reduced bunch sprint after heavy rain led to a neutralized finale in Naples.

“It was a long first week, but getting that podium on stage 6 was something to be happy about,” Magnier reflected. With a full week of racing in the legs, he hopes to be ready for what’s coming. “It gives me extra motivation heading into the second week. I haven’t looked at all the profiles in detail yet, but I know there are a few finishes with small climbs that aren’t hard enough to drop me. That’s where we might be able to put the other sprinters under pressure, so I’m looking forward to those.”

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“My legs are tired, but I used Monday’s rest day to let my body recover a bit and I didn’t go all out in the time trial,” said the talented sprinter. “I think I have the legs to win, but I still need to find the space to launch my sprint. Of course I need a good day, but as a team we’re motivated and we know everyone here has what it takes to win a stage.”

That goes for the competition too, as Magnier has already noticed. “Everyone’s strong and well prepared, this is real WorldTour level. With so many top teams and big riders, winning is tough.” Which is why the second week might already be the end of his Giro, as he admitted earlier this month in Frankfurt. “We’re not sure yet if I’ll finish the race. It partly depends on the circumstances, because that final week is brutal. We’ll see when we get there.”

Bram van der Ploeg (Twitter: @BvdPloegg | email: [email protected])