*Following a heavy crash in today's stage(17/05/23), Tao was forced to withdraw from the Giro. We wish him all the best in his recovery and look forward to seeing him back at the thick end of racing at the earliest opportunity. Get well soon Tao!*
INEOS Grenadiers rider Tao Geoghegan Hart is the man of the moment.
Coming off the back of his Tour of the Alps win - his fourth victory in 2023 already - his form has never been better. After clinching the win in the 2020 Giro d'Italia, getting his hands on the elusive Maglia Rosa, Tao knows more than anyone just how tough the fight is. And how it could go anyone's way...
We're excited to welcome Tao as our SunGod Explore Guest Author for the Giro d'Italia, as he shares his preparation, expectations, and emotions as the Giro D'Italia gets underway. The pressure is on, and the preparation is everything.
Scroll to discover Tao's take on the 2023 Giro d'Italia.
The perfect preparation: Tour of the Alps victory
"Prior to the Tour of the Alps, we were at our Sierra Nevada altitude camp. We rode mostly in 3-day blocks, followed by an active recovery day with a ride of 1-2 hours. Each block would consist of between 12 and 14 hours, with one day specifically on the TT bikes, another day focused on climbing efforts, and the final day normally a longer, less structured ride. Every training has prescribed zones, but we still pay attention to the feeling of the training, and the sensations it gives us.
Fuelling varies massively depending on the demands of the training, a high-intensity fuelling requiring much more carbohydrate than an easy endurance ride. Everything is tailored to the exact specifics of the session, and also what we've got planned for the following day.
The Tour of the Alps was a great end to a big block with the team. We worked out that a few of us had eaten every meal together for over a month by the end of the race, but despite that we were still having a great time together and of course, still enjoying the race. Trentino is a beautiful area to ride the bike and I felt good throughout the week there.
After that, it was great to relax at home and really soak up some peace and quiet before a busy month here at the Giro."
The mood of the moment: nerves, anticipation and excitement
"I think the mood at the Giro is always a mix. Each day of the Giro presents a different challenge, and there will always be days you simply want to pass without any incident. Not every day is full of emotion or excitement - sometimes, it’s just about getting the job done. But certainly at the start of the race there's a lot of excitement and anticipation for what lies ahead.
There are some gruelling days ahead of us. There isn't one stage I've picked out, to be honest, but the final week will no doubt be filled with some big scenery some brutal stages."
And finally, three tips for Grand Tour success:
"Cycling is unpredictable; that's the beauty of the sport. That means making predictions is almost impossible.
But what we can do is focus on keeping everything we do simple, and aligned to three key goals:
fuelling
recovery
consistency
Anything can happen on the day, but if we focus on these three elements, we put ourselves in the best possible position to lay it all on the line."
The anticipation is growing day by day as Tao and the INEOS Grenadiers battle it out for the iconic Maglia Rosa. Follow @ineosgrenadiers to stay up to date with every turn, every crash and every climb, throughout the Giro and beyond.
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