2019 Giro d'Italia

The 5 Best Climbers At The 2019 Giro d'Italia

The 5 Best Climbers At The 2019 Giro d'Italia

From Hampsten’s storied ride over the Gavia to Froome’s assault on the Finestre, no other race provides mountain drama like the Giro.

Apr 26, 2019 by Michael Sheehan
The 5 Best Climbers At The 2019 Giro d'Italia

The Giro d’Italia is well known for its epic mountain passes. From Andy Hampsten’s storied ride over the Gavia during a blizzard in 1988 to Chris Froome’s assault on the Colle delle Finestre in 2018, no other race inspires drama in the mountains quite like the Giro. 

In 2019, a pecking order will be established amongst the climbers from the Giro’s very first stage. The opening time trial in Bologna is only 8.2km, but the final 2.1 of those kilometers are uphill at an average gradient of 9.7 percent. While it may be only a small test, the time gaps will tell a story of what is to come in the ensuing weeks.

Here are the most talented riders to watch at the 2019 Giro d’Italia when the road turns up.


Richard Carapaz


The young Ecuadorian rider on Movistar had a breakout performance at the 2018 Giro d’Italia, which saw him earn fifth in the mountain classification, fourth in the general classification, and second in the young rider classification. 

What was perhaps more impressive than the results he earned at last year’s Giro is the manner in which he went about doing it. Carapaz was never one to hesitate before attacking on the hardest pitches of any climb, even with the likes of Chris Froome and Simon Yates waging battle around him.

Look forward to more off-the-front racing from Carapaz in the mountains of this year’s Giro.


Miguel Angel Lopez

At the age of 24, “Superman” Miguel Angel Lopez bested Carapaz for the best young rider classification in the 2018 Giro d’Italia. Lopez is a climbing sensation and came out swinging in 2019 with an overall win at the Tour of Colombia. 

A legitimate threat for the overall classification at this year’s Giro, Lopez will have to carve out his advantage on the slopes of the mountain passes.


Rafal Majka

The winner of mountain classification in both the 2014 and 2016 Tour de France, Majka is a versatile rider who is in his element outrunning the peloton on the most vertically challenging days of racing. Majka’s last start of the Giro d’Italia was in 2016 where he finished fifth overall.


Esteban Chaves

Chaves along with Simon Yates formed the most exciting duo of the 2018 Giro d’Italia. Chaves’ win on stage 6 trailed by Yates was a display of unmatched climbing strength. 

The duo from Mitchelton-Scott eventually crumbled under the toll of the race, but they will return to Italy in 2019, hoping to carry their momentum all the way to Verona.


Sam Oomen

The 23-year-old Dutch rider is a star in the making. Oomen netted an impressive ninth place overall at last year’s Giro d’Italia, while riding in support of Tom Dumoulin. Oomen will be lining up in a similar support role in 2019, and his ability to climb will be put to use by Team Sunweb as one of their last lines of defense.