We can no longer ignore Storer for the Giro, after another brilliant ride: "We expect big things from him"

When Storer attacked on Stage 2 in South Tyrol, none of his rivals seemed to view him as a real threat. Giulio Ciccone admitted afterward that they all looked at each other in typical fashion, until suddenly, Storer had ridden half a minute clear of the rest. “He was really strong,” said the Lidl–Trek rider, almost sheepishly. Ciccone had to surrender his green leader’s jersey to the small Tudor climber and now trails him by 41 seconds in the GC.

And this has been the story of Storer’s career time and again. He won the Tour de l’Ain in both 2021 and 2023 by soloing away on the final day, often against riders considered stronger. He also took two stage wins from breakaways in the 2021 Vuelta a España and claimed Stage 7 of this year’s Paris–Nice after being allowed into the break as a “non-threat.” But in the Tour of the Alps, Storer doesn’t even need a breakaway anymore. He simply rode all the GC favorites off his wheel on the final climb.

The bold performances on the bike couldn’t be more different from Michael Storer’s shy demeanor off it. Stick a microphone in front of him, and he turns quiet. “Glad I didn’t lose time,” he said before Stage 1 of the Tour of the Alps to IDLProCycling.com. Asked what had changed for him as a rider, he only added: “Physically I’ve improved and hopefully tactically too.” There was a brief flicker of confidence when the Giro was mentioned: “If I look at my numbers, I could aim for the top 5.”

But without a microphone, Storer is very different, according to teammate Larry Warbasse after Stage 2. “He’s a machine. Off the bike he’s reserved, but once you really get to know him, he’s talkative and very much part of the group. I’m not surprised at all that he won solo today. He was already joking about it this morning,” said the 34-year-old American from Tudor. In the post-race flash interview, Storer simply said: “I felt really good today. On the second part of the final climb, I was probably the strongest guy, so I went all in.”

A modest statement, because riding 41 seconds clear of the rest is no small feat. “I didn’t look back much. I kept my head down and just went full gas.” Warbasse nodded in approval: “We were at altitude camp in Sierra Nevada for three weeks, and you could already see he had amazing legs. I just taught him how to stay aero on the bike and apparently, he took that advice to heart today and turned it into a win.”

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Talkative teammate Larry Warbasse describes Michael Storer as “a bit of a myth in the peloton." So I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I joined the team. I’d heard stories from his time at DSM, like how he was sent home from training camp during the COVID era for buying shampoo. Or the one about how he accidentally got on his teammate’s bike during the Tour de France. Funny anecdotes, but he’s actually a great guy to have on the team. He’s super smart and a lot more calculated than you’d think.”

Warbasse then offered a word of warning about Storer’s own incredible legs: “It’s possible he benefits from coming across as so quiet. He keeps things to himself, and that doesn’t make enemies. That can help him stay under the radar a bit. But with performances like this, he won’t stay under the radar for much longer. I think he’s in great form, but he can get even better. Yeah, I think he’s going to do really well in the Giro. This is a huge sign. We can expect big things from him.”

Wonderful words and even Storer himself had to admit at the press conference that, after Tuesday, he has little reason not to believe in a strong finish to the Tour of the Alps and a strong Giro: “When you’re the strongest, you can just ride away like I did today. That feeling doesn’t come often. I’ve only felt it on the days I’ve won before. When you feel like that, you’re capable of a lot. I’m also stronger than last year, and that’s really thanks to Tudor, who stand behind me and give me the support and belief I’ve been missing the last few years.”

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Once again, it goes to show that top form often comes down to confidence and the right mindset. Storer may not yet be counted among the very best in the world, but maybe that’s a misconception, especially given his current role at Tudor. “Guys like Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard are on another level, but when I’m in top form, I believe I can follow and even beat the best riders in the world.” So what’s changed? “At Tudor, they’ve really tried to push me into the role of GC rider. And just by always riding for the classifications again, you naturally get better and more consistent.”

Because until recently, Storer wasn’t focused on general classification riding at all. “I’ve had periods where I was fetching bottles or pulling on the front from kilometer zero. Riding for the GC didn’t always go well either, but Tudor gives me the feeling that they’ve always got my back. There are great people here.” One of those people is his coach, Sebastian Deckert, who worked with Storer for four years at DSM and reunited with him at Tudor in 2024. “We work really well together, it makes a real difference.”

Now it’s time to cash in: first this week at the Tour of the Alps, then in May at the Giro d’Italia. Storer already finished second in the Alps in 2022 and now hopes to go one step higher. “I think we’ve still got a big task ahead of us, there are three really important stages to go. There’s a lot of strong competition behind me, guys who also want to win this race. But hey, better to have a 41-second lead than be 41 seconds behind. It’s going to be a really interesting week.”

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