On the eve of the Giro d'Italia, we report some opinions expressed yesterday by Alberto Contador in a press conference organized by Eurosport, broadcaster for which Contador is a "talent"

PERSONAL MEMORIES - «Of the three Giros I participated in, the most exciting was the first one in 2008: I wasn't even supposed to participate and was somewhat forced by the team. The incredible welcome from the Italian public, who made me feel like one of them, greatly contributed to my desire to fight with all my might to win. And I succeeded.»

ADVICE TO ROOKIES - «Enjoy the "Corsa Rosa" day by day with the aim of gaining a great experience, don't be intimidated by the fact that it's called Giro d'Italia. Approach it like any other race and you'll surely perform at your best!»

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GRAND TOURS - «I don't see differences in preparing for Giro, Tour and Vuelta: same altitude training, mountain passes, series and post-training. However, there are differences in the race itself: at the Giro, there are generally more kilometers and you can go from snow to heat in a short time, it's an extremely tough challenge and you must know how to adapt. Today, physiological parameters are just as fundamental as when I was racing, only now there are much more precise and technological ways to measure them: there's a device for every thing, for every data point, while back then we had to be good at listening to our body and interpreting its signals.»

CHALLENGING START - «Recently we've seen several grand tours start with already challenging stages, I'm thinking of the Tour de France from Bilbao. I see nothing wrong with that, in fact it's good for safety because it reduces tension in the peloton at a moment when everyone is at peak energy. It will be interesting to see who will wear the first "maglia rosa"»

THE CYCLAMEN JERSEY - «I see it more as a battle between sprinters, like Kooij and Groves. But I also believe that to keep great stage hunters like Van Aert and Pedersen at bay, pure sprinters will need to consider getting into some breakaways to grab a few extra points and avoid surprises.»

THE ROUTE - «With all the climbs and steep gradients, and only 42 kilometers of time trials that can still hurt weaker GC men, I still see the great climbers as favorites. The gravel stage won't be where you win the Giro, but where you can lose it if something goes wrong. Then each stage, depending on how it's ridden and weather conditions, can have a significant weight. The key moment, perhaps it's banal to say, will be the Colle delle Finestre on Saturday 31st: on those slopes, a lot can be decided...»

"DOUBLE" ROGLIC - «Primoz will race both Giro and Tour, but I don't think he'll achieve the double that Pogacar did last year. Not because doing both is too much for him: he's an athlete who manages himself very well and will surely arrive in the best conditions for both commitments. But regardless of the Giro, at the Tour he'll face both Vingegaard and Pogacar himself. I find it difficult.»

THE DUEL WITH AYUSO - «It will also be a battle between two powerhouse teams, Red Bull Bora and UAE, who I think will control the race for the most part. Regarding the two main contenders: if they reach the crucial moments of the race still very close in the general classification, Roglic's experience could be a factor. It's not a matter of age, but of grand tour familiarity: we're talking about a rider who has won the Vuelta 4 times and the Giro once, and as we said before, the Giro requires even more ability to adapt to situations compared to Tour and Vuelta. The Slovenian knows how to do it and has a squad equipped enough to put UAE in difficulty. On the other hand, Juan Ayuso is an incredibly strong young rider, and finishing second behind Roglic at Volta a Catalunya might have paradoxically had a beneficial effect for him: the Spaniard and his team will have been able to analyze every detail of the opponent and understand what to improve to beat him. Ultimately, I couldn't provide a real prediction! Also because there aren't just the two of them...»

THE THIRD WHEELS - «There are several veterans in form like Mikel Landa, Richard Carapaz and the Yates twins: Simon with full freedom, Adam depending on how Ayuso does. There's Egan Bernal, for whom I'm truly curious, and the promising Antonio Tiberi. A wide range for a beautiful Giro where balance could reign supreme.»

PIDCOCK - «Q36.5 will want to achieve a good GC with him and has the credentials to do so, but primarily he'll be among the protagonists of stages that resemble classics: I expect great things from him on gravel and in potentially rainy contexts, where his riding technique could be decisive especially downhill.»

(as a Polti VisitMalta manager) PIGANZOLI - «He has made an important quality leap and is absolutely ready for a top-10 GC. Just as, if he catches the right moment to try and win a stage, his attack might be less "monitored" and his quick burst could help him in a finish with one or two opponents.»