“I think there were some who said that the Giro should be easy next year? I would have preferred that it had been more human, and without such an important stage so late in the race,” the Leopard Trek rider told the Ritzau news agency.
The stage, announced Thursday, contains five ranked climbs, finishing off with the Mortirolo and a mountaintop finish at the Stelvio. The latter is at 2758 meters, the highest point ever for the Giro.
“It can turn upside down everything when it is so late in the race, and it sounds a little extreme,” Fuglsang said. “They want the big stage races now to be as extreme as possible.”
The Dane was recently confirmed to ride for RadioShack-Nissan-Trek next season, and is expected to be captain for the Giro. “If I prepare myself 100 percent, and the Giro will be the goal, then I might expect of myself that I must be about a top five, “ he said. “But it is also highly depends on the route and how much time trialing there is at the Giro.”
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
