Three weeks ago, when we were deep in the build-up to the 2025 Giro d'Italia, there were a few names that stood out as favourites. Primož Roglič, Juan Ayuso, Antonio Tiberi. Some even thought we were gearing up for a two-horse race between Roglič and Ayuso, such was their superiority. Other names were gracefully included in contenders lists, but with the caveat that they'd be racing for, at best, the top five.
Fast forward to now, however, and the protagonists of this Giro are names that we were told were outsiders or top 10 fodder when we headed to Albania – or, in Isaac del Toro's case, not even part of the conversation.
