Here we are at last: the X hour has struck for the long-awaited, as every year, Giro d'Italia. The 106th edition takes place along the usual 21 stages, starting from Fossacesia Marina in Abruzzo and ending on Sunday 28 May, after 3489.2 km in Rome at the Imperial Forums. Who will be the athlete to succeed Jai Hindley, winner in 2022? The 2023 route A route this year that confirms the trend of a hard race, suitable for well-rounded athletes, good at time trials and with great resistance uphill. Three time trials, for a total of 73.2 km, six uphill finishes including at least three high mountain stages that will make the difference: Crans Montana, Monte Bondone and Tre Cime di Lavaredo. For the rest, the usual mix of long flat transfers suitable for fast wheels and some finishes for finisseurs. First uphill finish on Tuesday 9 May at Lake Laceno, nothing transcendental for the big names, but there are three second-category mountain GPs. On the Gran Sasso (Campo Imperatore) on Friday 12 May it will already be possible to see who is doing well and who is perhaps at risk of being out of the podium lot. But it's the last week, as usual, to give the final responses with the alpine caps and the terrible uphill time trial on Monte Lussari (Saturday 27 May, penultimate stage), which this year could be decisive for the final victory. The 176 riders, 8 per team, represent the 18 UCI World-Teams, plus the 4 Pro-Team teams chosen as wild cards: Eolo-Kometa, Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè and Israel-Premiertech. The protagonists The obvious contenders for the final pink jersey are Primoz Roglič and Remco Evenepoel, a step or two above the competition. Both have already battled it out at the Tour of Catalonia (with the Slovenian narrowly victorious), but the impression is that both have prepared in the best possible way a season aimed at few objectives but of absolute quality. Remco has recently dominated the Liège-Bastogne-Liège, even if the direct clash between the titans was missed as the other favorite of the eve, Tadej Pogačar had to give up prematurely due to a bad crash Let's start the analysis, out of respect for his age, with Primoz Roglič: the 33-year-old Slovenian reached the podium in all three Grand Tours, triumphing three times at the Vuelta España. In the '19 edition of the Giro he spent many days in the squad and then gave up slightly in the final days and was overtaken by Carapaz and Vincenzo Nibali. For climbing efficiency, constancy, coolness, time trial skill (albeit a hair lower than Remco) he is one of the natural contenders for the final victory. Unlike other athletes of his age, he still seems fresh, thanks to the fact that he approached two wheels late after a youth spent as a promising ski jumper: his first full season as a pro was at the age of 24. It also has great explosiveness on its side which makes it practically unbeatable in tight uphill arrivals. A rider with over 70 victories in his career, both uphill finishes (and we are convinced he will win more than one stage in this Giro) and time trials, with the icing on Liège in '20. The only unknown could be how well he held up in the last week (in a time trial in the last stage he was defeated in the Tour by a stratospheric Pogačar). Furthermore, his Jumbo-Visma team lost two fundamental players in Tobias Foss and Robert Gesink due to Covid, losing the advantage it had over Evenepoel's Soudal-Quickstep. Remco Evenepoel, has his age on his side: 10 years younger than the Slovenian. A champion in full evolution, whose limits are yet to be discovered: last season his talent exploded with victories in Liège, the Vuelta and the World Championship. Winning the Giro in the rainbow jersey would be a privilege that few champions have had. Remco is very strong in the time trial and uphill, although it needs to be tested on the longest climbs and at altitudes above 2000 metres. His first Giro was not the happiest: he got off to an excellent start, struggled a lot and then had a psycho-physical crisis. However, today's Remco is no more distantly related to that of two years ago; he is fully aware of his great value, he is calmer, and at the age of 23 he is maturing physically and mentally. His Soudal-Quickstep team doesn't have any great climbers (apart from Hirt): will Evenepoel be able to manage alone on the great Alpine peaks? It's going to be a great battle with Roglic anyway. Possibility for a third wheel? We see it hard for someone to be able to override both of the two big names, but cycling has accustomed us to unpredictability so we'll see. The third men Let's start with the teams that seem more equipped than the others to play tricks (which in any case would be sensational) on the two announced protagonists: Ineos-Grenadiers and Bahrain-Victorious. The English team has a respectable staff uphill (Sivakov, De Plus, Arendsman) to support the only previous winner of the pink race, Tao Geoghegan Hart and Geraint Thomas, who has the '18 Tour on his bulletin board. Tao recently triumphed at the Tour of the Alps and seems to be returning to his 2021 form while the Welshman, albeit in decline due to 37 springs, could always have his say, even we believe him in function of luxury lieutenant. In addition, Team Ineos has Filippo Ganna, who as always will inflame the time trials (the undisclosed goal is to win the first pink jersey) and, based on what we saw at the northern classics, he could also aim for a stage with a breakaway from afar. Bahrain will not deny its nature as a team of sappers: with Caruso, Haig, Buitrago and Gino Mader we can expect everything to enliven the race. They can afford attacks from afar to aspire to stage victories and take advantage of the work for the captains in view of the general classification. Caruso seems the destined leader, but if necessary there are Jack Haig and above all the emerging Colombian Santiago Buitrago, whose rising value is undeniable. The other potential candidates for a place on the podium are Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe), Uran (EF Education), Joao Almeida (UAE-Emirates). A step below, but always in the top 10, we place our Fortunato (Eolo-Kometa), the eternal Pozzovivo (Israel-Premiertech) together with McNulty (UAE), Healy and Carthy (EF), Mollema (Trek-Segafredo). It will be the last presence on the roads of the Giro for Thibau Pinot, a champion who was never fully accomplished, but also loved by the Italians: we don't see the Frenchman in the first places in the general classification, but we would like him to win a stage. The sprinters and the finisseurs As always, we will see adrenaline-pumping arrivals dominated by the sprinter teams. There isn't a reference sprinter superior to the others this year, so we will see a great battle between Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo), Gaviria (Movistar), Ackermann (UAE) our Dainese (Team DSM), Consonni (Cofidis), Milan (Bahrain) and the emerging Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceukink) who could rise to dominance. There are some athletes who have in their DNA the ability to break away and win, or give a jab in the last stretches of tough stages: among these, our preferences go to Kamna (Bora-Hansgrohe), Matthews (Team Jayco-Alula) , Vendrame and Paret-Paintre (AG2R), Oldani (Alpecin), Bettiol (EF Education First) and one of the many finisseurs of Astana, a team that, having no man in the standings and a Cavendish in decline, will try to win from afar: Luis Leon Sanchez, Simone Velasco, Samuele Battistella and we hope for a revived Gianni Moscon The list of favorites for the final victory: **** Roglic, Evenepoel ** Geoghegan Hart, Buitrago, Caruso, Thomas, Vlasov * Uran, Healy, Almeida  

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Due to a bad fall, the competition in Liège with Remco Evenepoel was missed: Pogačar comes out with a scaphoid fracture which will lead to a brief stop in his preparation. Despite this, it was a brilliant start to the season for the Slovenian. The career of a predestined In 2019, Giuseppe Saronni, someone who knows much about cycling, had his say about a young cyclist who has just landed in the EU-Emirates: he has a great engine, he always does the right thing at the right time and is much more mature than his age . His calmness and lucidity surprise me. He had discovered Tadej three years earlier and had already demonstrated his talent by dominating the Tour de l'Avenir, and was about to experience his first season as a professional. The premises were excellent, in fact he added that if he had remained what he was, that is humble and determined, he would have risen a lot in the hierarchy of cycling: "no one, not even he, knows what it's worth and where it can go". After only four years we have the answer: the blond kid from Komanda is one of the greatest cycling champions. The consecration in the one-day classics We still have in our eyes the majestic victory in Flanders, the undisputed domination in the Amstel Gold Race, the inexorable spurt of precision and power in the Freccia Vallone. What is surprising, as the good Saronni had prophesied, is the ability to focus on the objectives and implement a winning tactic effectively, calmly and with timing. Sometimes they are attacks from a distance aware that it is necessary to skim the group to avoid a final with too many dangerous opponents. Other times, like in the classic Walloon, Tadej understood that there was no room for an offensive from a long distance, and he preferred only one lethal attack in the finale on Huy's wall. And without forgetting that they were races in which he participated for the first time (the Dutch classic) or second time (the Flanders). Demonstration of tactical intelligence that few possess, of great physical power, of an ability to manage oneself in topical moments, in short, a unique talent, one of those that is born every generation. Or maybe even more rarely? There are already those who disagree with the comparison with the Cannibal Eddie Merckx. An all-rounder champion A few numbers can give the dimension of the Slovenian phenomenon: he has already won two Tour de France and three classic monuments (Flanders, Liège and Lombardy), plus other legendary classics such as Strade Bianche, Amstel and Freccia Vallone which for many riders would be enough to crown a career and all this at just 24 and a half years old. He has won 9 of the last 11 stage races he has entered. In the other two where he didn't win he finished second, including last year's infamous Tour. We are convinced that he would have won it, albeit against a stratospheric Vingegard, if he hadn't wasted too much in the first week: a youthful mistake and too much self-confidence? Surely Tadej is intelligent and will treasure his mistakes, so in the next editions we will see him more tactically shrewd. The Slovenian phenomenon was born in Komanda, a village of not even a thousand souls at the foot of the mountains in Upper Carniola. He started cycling at the age of 9 to follow his older brother's activity and was then discovered by Slovenian ex-professional Andrej Hauptmann (bronze at the 2001 Road World Championship). These, noticing that in a youth race the twelve-year-old Tadej was chasing a platoon of cyclists older than his age, asked the organization to lend him assistance: it was explained to him that in reality he was catching up and lapping the group. Hauptmann followed him through the youth career of the Rog-Ljubjana team until the then 20-year-old Pogačar was signed in 2018 by EU-Emirates to start the Pro season the following year. The results were immediately exciting: first victories (stage and final classification) at the Volta ao Algarve and final classification at the Tour of California. But it is at the Vuelta España where the talent reveals itself to the general public, with three stage victories and third final position behind a certain Roglič and Alejandro Valverde. 2020, the year of the calendar distorted due to Covid, crowns the star Pogačar. In the Tour held in September, he overtook Primoz Roglic in the epic uphill time trial on the last day, who had dominated until then and seemed unbeatable. A masterpiece of power and resistance: a new phenomenon has blossomed. What are Pogačar limits? Like most of the predestined greats of sport, Tadej began to win and dominate at a very young age: he reminds us of the various Tigers, Federers, Valentino Rossi. He also has on his side being calm, determined and swaggering to the right point. In an era in which it is even more difficult to win due to the presence of other great champions such as Evenepoel, Van der Poel, Van Aert, Roglic, Pidcock. Yet he rings up successes over and over again. The other point in his favor is the ability to win both big stage races and the classic monument, which puts him in a dimension of other times: Hinault, Merckx, Coppi and Bartali. Everyone agrees that he has the chance to win the two missing Monuments, namely Sanremo (fourth this year) and Roubaix (never raced). We'll see how his career develops, waiting to see him win on the roads of the Giro: we're sure he'll write cycling history. The world of two wheels needed a very strong champion, even if in recent years there has been a show thanks to the presence of a new generation of very strong athletes who always give battle. But the public needed the iconic athlete, capable of attracting fans of all nationalities. Sagan had been for a certain period until the physique of the Slovakian talent inexorably shut down. Pogačar won't have the same media or interview charisma, but he has such greatness as an athlete that he embodies cycling itself. He will be recognized and celebrated on the roads and on TV by all sportsmen and women: the generous cyclist, who rides almost all year round and always sets out to win both road classics and stage races. Waiting to experience the next epic battle on the roads of the Tour, where the Slovenian will have to contend with many opponents starting from Vingegard and in the future against another phenomenon on the rise also in stage races, which responds to the name of Remco Evenepoel.

In recent years, the use of the bicycle as a means of transport has grown exponentially, both for environmental reasons and for health reasons. More and more people are choosing the bicycle as a means of transport, both for daily trips and for leisure. In this scenario, APPs for cyclists are becoming more and more important to improve the riding experience. In this article, we will explore how cycling APPs can improve the riding experience and which are the best APPs available on the market. Why cycling apps matter APPs for cyclists are important because they improve the riding experience, both on paved roads, gravel and cross-country. In particular, APPs can help cyclists plan their route, monitor their performance and stay safe on the road. Here are some of the main functions of the APPs for cyclists: Route planning: the APPs for cyclists allow you to plan your route in detail, choosing the most suitable roads for your experience and needs. Some APPs also allow you to calculate the distance, travel time and height difference of the route. Performance Monitoring: Many cycling apps allow you to monitor your performance while riding, such as speed, distance traveled and calories burned. This information can be useful in improving your performance and achieving your goals. Road safety: some apps for cyclists offer functions for road safety, such as warning of dangers or obstacles on the road, lane change warning and the possibility of reporting accidents or problems on the road. The best APPs for cyclists There are many cycling APPs available in the market, each with its own features and functionalities. Here are some of the best APPs for cyclists: 1. Strava: Strava is one of the most popular cycling APPs in the world. It offers functions for performance monitoring, route planning and sharing of your activities on social networks. It is available for both Android and iOS. 2. Komoot: Komoot is a route planning app. It offers detailed maps and functions for calculating the distance, travel time and altitude difference of the route. It is available for both Android and iOS. 3. Wahoo Fitness: Wahoo Fitness is an app for tracking performance while riding. It offers functions for measuring speed, distance traveled and calories burned. It is available for both Android and iOS. 4. Bike Citizens: Bike Citizens is a route planning app. It offers detailed maps and functions for calculating the distance, travel time and altitude difference of the route. Additionally, the app also offers alternative routes to avoid busy or dangerous roads. It is available for both Android and iOS. 5. Cyclemeter: Cyclemeter is an app for monitoring your riding performance. It offers functions for measuring speed, distance traveled and calories burned. In addition, the app also offers functions for planning the route and for sharing your activities on social networks. It is only available for iOS.Bike Computer: Bike Computer is a cycling app available for iOS and Android. The app offers a wide range of features, including GPS tracking, driving stats tracking, and the ability to create and share your own routes. 6. Wahoo Fitness: Wahoo Fitness is a cycling app available for iOS and Android. The app offers GPS tracking, riding stats, and the ability to integrate with other devices such as cadence sensor. 7. MapMyRide: MapMyRide is a cycling app available for iOS and Android. The app offers GPS tracking, driving stats, and the ability to create and share your own routes. 8. Trailforks: Trailforks is an app for cyclists who focus on off-road activities. The app features offline maps, GPS tracking, and the ability to share your rides with the cycling community. 9. Runtastic Road Bike: Runtastic Road Bike is a cycling app available for iOS and Android. The app offers GPS tracking, driving stats, and the ability to create and share your own routes. These are just some of the best cycling APPs available on the market. Each app has its own characteristics and functionalities, so it is important to choose the one that best suits your needs. How to improve the driving experience with APPs for cyclists Now that we have seen which are the best APPs for cyclists, let's see how these APPs can improve the riding experience. 1. Route Planning: Route planning with a cycling app can make riding more enjoyable and safer. You can avoid busy and dangerous roads, choose scenic routes and discover new areas of the city. 2. Monitor your performance: Monitoring your performance while driving can help you improve your fitness and achieve your goals. You can set distance or calorie goals to burn and track your progress over time. 3. Be safe on the road: APPs for cyclists offer functions for road safety, such as warning of dangers or obstacles on the road, lane change warning and the possibility of reporting accidents or problems on the road. These features can help make driving safer and more enjoyable.

We are now in the week of the Milano-Sanremo, the eagerly awaited first classic monument which will take place on Saturday. It is the 114th edition of the "classicissima" or "spring world championship" which was held in 1907 for the first time (the French Petit-Breton won). A timeless charm of a race that more than any other embodies the spirit of cycling by combining historical tradition with modernity. It is the longest professional one-day race (294km) and the fastest, averaging over 45km/h. It has an almost unchanged route for decades that connects Milan and the Po valley to the sea: the final part unfolds along the beautiful Ligurian coast (which unfortunately cyclists do not have time to appreciate) and then reaches the city of flowers and the Festival. A classic and long route An easy route, of course, but as the saying goes, cyclists make the race. The absence of altimetric difficulties means that it can be within everyone's reach with the consequence that it is very difficult to interpret. An itinerary that all cycling enthusiasts know by heart: departure early in the morning in Milan, with the classic breakaway of the day and the sleepy group that leaves the ephemeral glory to the carneads. Then the docile Turchino pass (588 m, the highest altitude reached by the race) and then embark on the long descent towards the sea. Along the coast Varazze, Savona, Finale, Albenga, Alassio and Laigueglia. Here there will be 55 km to go to the end and the runners will find the first bumps of the coast where the race, if it hasn't done it yet, enters the hot phase: the leaders Mele, Cervo and Berta to create havoc in the peloton and force the teams to death. Finally the two straps of Cipressa and Poggio, where, especially in the latter, you can decide the race. The latter is a mere 3700m climb at 3.7% with peaks at 8% near the summit. Not much, but enough to make a selection with the best who will give everything and then launch themselves into the dizzying descent (which ends just over 1 km from the finish). A rich roll of honor History shows us that it is the only monument within the reach of sprinters, but that doesn't limit the possibilities to them. In practice, the Saremo was won with every possible tactic: escape from afar, finisseur sprint uphill, sprint downhill, sprint in small ranks, group sprint. If we scroll through the roll of honor, all the elite of cycling is here: Girardengo (who won it 6 times), Binda, the epic story of Bartali and Coppi (4-3 for the Tuscan in the count of victories), Van Steenbergen, Bobet. Then the glorious 70s with Mercx (7 victories), Gimondi, De Vlaeminck. Gavazzi, Moser, Saronni (who triumphed with the World Champion shirt), the unforgettable Professor Fignon (two consecutive successes), Bugno and Chiappucci. At the turn of the millennium there was an endless series of victories by sprinters, including Erik Zabel (4 victories), Freire, Cipollini, Petacchi and even Cavendish. In more recent times, who has forgotten the fantastic triumph of Nibali who sprinted downhill in the face of the peloton? That marks the fact that riders with the most diverse characteristics have a chance in Sanremo. The victory of the Sicilian is also the only tricolor in the last 17 years and we believe that, barring incredible surprises, the statistics will be extended by another year. This year's favourites Guessing the winner of the Milan-San Remo is almost like winning the lottery, but let's do an analysis of the suitors, according to the categories- Sprinters: Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin) seems to be in the best shape in the light of the results at the Tirreno-Adriatico. The Belgian has excellent leg, can hold on on the Poggio and can count on Mathieu Van der Poel, should the Dutchman not be brilliant for the win. Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) has already won twice this year (including a short time trial) proving to have depth and speed. Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal-Quickstep) is also very fit and the young emerging Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny), who has Caleb Ewan in his team, can never be underestimated (twice second in Sanremo). A step below look like Demare (Groupama-FDJ) and Sam Bennet (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Groenewegen (Jayco-Alula)- Finisseur chapter: quite ample space, even if this year the big names don't seem to be in top form yet. If Alaphilippe didn't pedal badly at the Tirreno, Van der Poel proved he doesn't have the leg. However, never trust these champions who can pull the rabbit out of the hat when you least expect it. Jumbo-Visma seems particularly fierce, because in addition to Van Aert who has never been a protagonist (but we could assume that he did pre-tactical), he can count on the emerging Hungarian Attila Valter and on Cristoph Laporte, tough uphill and solid in the sprint. Downhillers: history shows that Sanremo can be won by descending the Poggio with technique and courage. Van Aert thus won in '20 and the already mentioned Nibali. But it's Mohoric we're thinking about: we still have our eyes on last year's ride and after what we saw at the Strade Bianche, the Slovenian is rightfully among the favourites, even if we have to go back to 2001 (Erik Zabel) to have a double win over the years consecutive-. The other phenomenal downhill racer is Tom Pidcock, recent winner of the Strade Bianche, who is however weighed down by the uncertainty of the two crashes at the Tirreno-Adriatico. If he has recovered he will be considered one of the candidates for victory. The outsiders: Magnus Cort strong in the sprint and Nelson Powless in excellent shape uphill (both from EF) Cosnefroy (AG2R), shrewd rider capable of winning line races and let's put in Filipppo Ganna! It would be fantastic to see the Verbanese triumph: honestly given the parterre de roi it is almost impossible, but let's suppose that he keeps on the Poggio in a small group of attackers and then goes away at the last km while the others are watching each other... Separate chapter: Tadej Pogačar. We place the Slovenian phenomenon in a category of its own because nobody knows his limits, not even himself. He won Paris-Nice with embarrassing ease, he's monstrous uphill and in a small group he's quite fast. To give an idea of ​​the superiority, in the last two years he has won 81% of the stage races he has entered. Sure, Sanremo is a one-day race with a flat finish, but who knows... we're talking about a champion who at 24 has already won Liège and Lombardia (not to mention the 2 Tours) and could still amaze on Via Roma with class. creativity and courage! The rating: **** Philipsen, Jakobsen, Pedersen, Pogačar *** Alaphilippe, Van Aert, De Lie, Mohoric ** Pidcok, Van der Poel, Ewan, Bennet, Merlier * Groenewegen, Valter, Laporte, Ganna, Cort, Powless