Giacomo Nizzolo and Ben O’Connor will lead Team Dimension Data‘s line-up for the 102nd edition of the Giro d’Italia.
The 23-year-old Australian O’Connor impressed hugely in 2018 as he rode to within a whisker of securing a top-10 GC position before his race was cruelly ended in a crash. He returns this year looking to make amends, and will be confident of consolidating his reputation as one of the world’s most exciting young riders.
While for Giacomo Nizzolo, the race presents an opportunity to compete for a first time in our kit in front his home fans at a Grand Tour; as well as finally securing that elusive Giro d’Italia victory. He’s competed six times previously having secured a podium finish in every one of the editions in which he has raced.
Also in the lineup is exciting South African Ryan Gibbons who’s been impressive so far in 2019 in Catalunya, Oman and Australia as well as Enrico Gasparotto, who fought to a strong 10th position at Fleche Wallonne.
The very experienced Danilo Wyss provides climbing support to O’Connor along with Eritrea’s Amanuel Ghebreigzhabier. While the hard work put in all season by Camarthen’s Scott Davies sees him make a deserved Grand Tour debut.
Completing our roster is Mark Renshaw who, after a delayed return to racing in 2019 after a collision with a car while training late last year, is in excellent form now having most recently ridden at the Tour de Yorkshire.
Renshaw made his Grand Tour debut in this race in 2005 and rode it a further 3 times in 2009, 2011 and 2012.
Giacomo Nizzolo: “Like with every year the Giro d’Italia is one of the biggest goals of the season (for me). Of course, I will try to go for victory in some stages as well as from a team perspective target a good result in the GC. It looks like this year, more than ever, that there are a lot of competitors particularly in the sprints but I’m ready to fight, and I feel ready to target those stage wins.
“Racing in Italy for an Italian rider is always special so I’m really looking forward to racing on the Italian roads and seeing a lot of fans supporting us over the course of the three weeks.”
Ben O’Connor: “The Giro d’Italia again – and I have unfinished business I guess. Obviously, I’m aiming for a top GC result or even perhaps the Young Rider jersey but actually putting it on paper this year! Maybe the results haven’t show exactly how I would like so far, but I’m confident I’ve done all I can to be competitive and show Dimension Data and all our partners around Italy.
“It’s a special race: the vibrancy, colour, passion, noise…it has it all. The boys and myself can’t wait to get this show on the road.”
Bingen Fernandez – Sport Director: “We’re really excited ahead of the first Grand Tour of the year. If you look at our lineup, it’s obvious that we will be looking at contending on a number of fronts. Giacomo Nizzolo is hugely experienced in this race, and despite a strong field, we’ll be looking to him to use that in the sprint stages.
“Ben O’Connor was one of the revelations of the event last year before he crashed and will be looking to draw on all of that experience – positive and negative – this year.
“And then along with the other riders riding in support of those guys, we have the likes of Enrico Gasparotto and Ryan Gibbons who can make a real impact on the punchier stuff, so expect to see a lot of us over the course of the three weeks.”
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