MILAN – Defending champion Chris Froome said on Wednesday that he was still uncertain whether he will defend his Giro d’Italia title as the 102nd edition of the race was presented in Milan.
Froome, 33, became the first British rider to win the Giro last May to complete a ‘grand slam’, after his Tour de France and Tour of Spain wins in 2017.
“I’m not 100 percent sure if I’ll be there at the Giro d’Italia 2019, it’s a decision we’ll have to make in December,” said Froome, who appeared on stage during the presentation.
“The pink jersey for me is a great honour, it had been missing from my collection.
“It was an important jersey for the history of cycling, and something I had dreamed of as a child. It’s also an important race for the team as it’s the 10th anniversary of Team Sky.”
Froome finished third in this year’s Tour de France, which was won by Sky teammate Geraint Thomas.
He failed to match the record of five Tour de France victories jointly held by Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil and Miguel Indurain.
And with a shorter gap between the end of the Giro on June 2 and the start of the Tour de France on June 29 he could opt to skip the race. “We’re all together in December at a training camp, so I think in that period, we will decide everything for next year,” he added.
“One thing is certain: if I’m not there, one of my teammates will be coming to try to win.”
Last year’s Giro started in Israel, but this year’s race which covers 3.518km will be almost entirely within Italy, apart from a time-trial into San Marino.
The race starts with a tough 8.2km time-trial in Bologna concluding in an uphill finish at the San Luca Sanctuary which overlooks the city.
“A start like that, with the Bologna time trial, is explosive and interesting,” said Froome. “It’s a very balanced race, between the time-trials and massive mountains.”
This is Giro d'Italia 2019! | Ecco il Giro d'Italia 2019! | Esto es el Giro d'Italia 2019 >>> https://t.co/JZMRrXS4nl #Giro pic.twitter.com/wrLCRzwSxe
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) October 31, 2018
The riders will tackle climbs, including the Passo Gavia at 2 618m altitude and Passo del Mortirolo with a total of seven summit finishes, two on individual time trials.
The final week will include stiff mountain tests but the overall winner will not be known until the final day and a third individual time-trial, which finishes in Verona’s amphitheatre.
“It’s a brutal, brutal second half,” added Froome. “There’s two quite difficult time trials in the first week, which I like.”
🎙️ @chrisfroome: “The Giro victory will always be in my heart for the rest of my life because I’ve never won a race in such an iconic way" #Giro pic.twitter.com/BBbyD9FrzJ
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) October 31, 2018