A bit of a slow start to this year's Giro with so many opening sprint stages, and only the serious climbs coming in the past few Stages, but it's certainly getting exciting with just 6 Stages to go, and the GC-battle still wide open!
Here's my picks for the 3 biggest under-performers so far!
1 | Bob Jungels (Deceuninck - Quick Step)
Quick - Step's GC hopeful was on scintillating form at the early-Spring classics and gave up on defending his Leige - Bastogne - Leige victory from 2018 to focus on altitude training for this Giro. His best previous finish was 6th in 2016, and I certainly expected the Luxembourg Champion to better that and challenge for Top 5 if not a Podium finish.
In reality, the time that he lost on the Stage 1 Prologue was probably enough to confirm that the GC top-spot was just fantasy, and from there on out he just hasn't come close to the form that we're used to from him!
2 | Thomas De Gendt (Lotto - Soudal)
I can understand De Gendt had domestique duties for Caleb Ewan for quite a few Stages, and he duly delivered in that sense, with Ewan picking up two Stage victories; but the Belgian just hasn't come anywhere close to his usual best, struggling to hold on in just the one breakaway as soon as the climbs hit him. Usually he's a solid bet to pick up a Stage at a Grand Tour, but I don't think we'll be seeing so at the Giro this year!
3 | Simon Yates (Mitchelton - Scott)
Tough to include Yates, but it has to be said that he's been pretty awful up until the last two Stages. He came into the Giro d'Italia talking himself up as the favourite, and ultimately he hasn't matched that - losing time on the TT, and further time in the opening mountain Stages.
We've seen the Simon Yates that we know and love over the past few Stages, where he's successfully chipped some time off of his rivals - and who knows, a top 5 might still be possible for him. It's hugely disappointing to see him behind the likes of Bauke Mollema & Jan Polanc in the GC however, as those two aren't even close to the caliber of Yates.
Keep posted for my biggest over-performers!