Racing

Giro d’Italia 2015: the contenders – form guide

Which of the maglia rosa contenders are in the best form?

Domenico Pozzovivo (Ag2r-La Mondiale)

Nairo Quintana (Movistar) won the Giro d'Italia in 2014 but won't defend his title (Pic: Sirotti)
Tinkoff-Saxo's Alberto Contador is the pre-race favourite (Pic: Sirotti)
Richie Porte continued his superb start to the season at the Giro del Trentino (Pic: Sirotti)
Fabio Aru announced himself with victory on the Montecampione last year (pic: Sirotti)
Rigoberto Uran will join Pierre Rolland in spear-heading Cannondale-Garmin's new GC line-up (Pic: Sirotti)
Domenico Pozzovivo has been in good form, but needs to turn top-five finishes into podiums (Pic: Sirotti)
Damiano Caruso proved his Grand Tour pedigree last year, but BMC Racing's top-five target may be a bit too ambitious (Pic: Sirotti)
Ryder Hesjedal celebrates his 2012 triumph on the podium (pic: Sirotti)

Domenico Pozzovivo (Ag2r-La Mondiale)

After injury decimated the end of his 2014 season, diminutive Italian Domenico Pozzovivo has come right back into form again this year.

Having recorded top-ten finishes in all of his races so far this season – including eighth at Liege-Bastogne-Liege, his most recent outing – Pozzovivo has continued his knack of being a perennial contender without taking it further.

Fifth last year at the Giro was a case in point, the time lost in the first of two individual time trials being a particular worry.

But solo stage wins in his last two stage races – the Volta a Catalunya and Giro del Trentino – have proved his form and also shown he can beat his rivals. What Pozzovivo will need, however, is to pick up enough time in the mountains to negate any he might lose against the clock later in the race.

Pozzovivo is one of the best climbers in the sport and has, at times, proved he can mix it with the best, but does he have the consistency over the demands of a Grand Tour to challenge for the podium? This is his opportunity to prove he is more than just an outside contender.

Ag2r-La Mondiale squad: POZZOVIVO, Julien Berard, Carlos Betancur, Axel Domont, Hubert Dupont, Patrick Gretsch, Hugo Houle, Matteo Montaguti, Rinaldo Nocentini.

Form guide

Best Giro d’Italia finish: Fifth (2014)
Season highlights: Tour Down Under – sixth; Tirreno-Adriatico – eighth; Volta a Catalunya – stage win, third overall; Giro del Trentino – stage win, seventh overall; Liege-Bastogne-Liege – eighth
UCI WorldTour ranking: 14th