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2024 Giro d’Italia Riders to Watch

From an overwhelming favorite to two young Americans, here are 13 riders to watch at this year’s Giro d’Italia.

This year’s race has an interesting start list. It’s headlined by one overwhelming favorite, several riders hoping to join him on the podium, lots of sprinters, a couple of veteran stage hunters looking to pad their resumes, and two young Americans making their grand tour debuts.

Here’s a look at thirteen riders to watch at the 2024 Giro d’Italia.

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)

We’re not sure we’ve ever seen a more overwhelming grand tour favorite than Pogačar. The 25-year-old has never raced the Giro, but that won’t stop him from most likely winning it.

The two-time Tour de France champion has had a perfect season so far, mixing specific race targets with training camps so that he’s ready and fresh. So far the plan has worked like a charm: the Slovenian has raced just ten times this season, but has an incredible seven wins—including victories in Strade Bianche , the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya (where he won four of the race’s seven stages), and Liège-Bastogne-Liège—and he’s only finished lower than third twice .

With a strong team of proven grand tour domestiques, including several of his favorite Tour de France lieutenants, and a course that suits all of his strengths—including a very Pog-friendly Grande Partenza (what Italians call the Giro’s opening weekend)—the only question we have is: How soon will he put the race out of reach?

Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers)

Thomas was one day away from winning last year’s Giro d’Italia, an impressive feat for a 36-year-old who’s still a grand tour contender despite racing against guys more than a decade younger than he is. But despite last year’s defeat, he’s returning this year to try and finally win a race that’s been eluding him since most of his biggest rivals were juniors.

Defeating Pogačar will be tough, but the course—especially its two time trials—plays to Thomas’ strengths, and he has a deep and talented team supporting him. Our gut says that second overall is the best he can hope for, but if there’s one thing we’ve learned this season it’s that bad luck can strike anyone at any time. Should something happen to Pog (we’re not wishing for that to happen), the soon-to-be 38-year-old will immediately become the race favorite.

And in case you’re wondering, if he wins, he’ll be the second-oldest grand tour champion in cycling history.

Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma-Lease a Bike)

This young Belgian made (hard-to-pronounce) headlines last December when it was prematurely announced that he was breaking his contract with BORA-hansgrohe (who had recently signed Primoz Roglič away from Jumbo-Visma) to join the Dutch superteam (now called Visma-Lease a Bike).

Uijtdebroeks, who just turned 21, was the winner of the Tour de l‘Avenir in 2022 and is widely considered to be a future grand tour contender. And without Belgium’s Wout van Aert , who’s skipping the Giro due to injuries he sustained in a crash at a race in Belgium a few weeks ago, Uijtdebroeks becomes the focus of the team’s Giro GC plans. A podium finish and the white jersey as the Giro’s Best Young Rider are well within his reach. Securing both would rub some salt in the wounds created by his not-so-smooth transfer.

Ben O’Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale),

The Australian has had a rough time since finishing fourth overall and winning a stage at the 2021 Tour de France —mainly due to crashes. So now he’s heading back to the Giro, where he cut his teeth as a grand tour rider and even won a mountain stage in 2020.

His 2024 season has been great so far: he won his first race of the year, then finished second at the UAE Tour, fifth at Tirreno-Adriatico, and second at the recent Tour of the Alps, an important pre-Giro stage race. A podium finish and stage victory are well within reach for the 28-year-old, results that would rebuild his confidence and rejuvenate his career.

Romain Bardet (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL)

A former Tour de France podium finisher, Bardet has enjoyed a bit of a renaissance since leaving his former French team for the Dutch Team dsm-firmenich PostNL squad. This move gave him his first chance to race the Giro in 2021 where he finished seventh.

After finishing second in Liège-Bastogne-Liège in April, the 33-year-old is in form and motivated. We wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up challenging for a spot on the final podium, but we suspect he’ll be more of a stage hunter. The Giro is the only grand tour in which he hasn’t won a stage, and he would certainly love to complete a hat trick of grand tour stage victories before retiring.

Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-Quick Step)

Alaphilippe was once one of the three or four most exciting riders in the sport—a swashbuckling opportunist who was always a threat in one-day Monuments and grand tour stages. But a crash at Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2022 left him with a broken shoulder, two broken ribs, and a collapsed lung. He hasn’t been the same since.

After another tough spring, the 31-year-old is now riding his first Giro in the hopes of getting back to his winning ways (he hasn’t won anything since last June). And time is of the essence: the Frenchman’s contract with Soudal-Quick Step is up at the end of the season , and he’s rumored to be negotiating with a couple of French squads (with Quick Step still open to the possibility of keeping him). A stage win or two would help drive up the asking price for a guy who was once one of the most sought-after riders in the world.

Michael Woods (Israel-PremierTech)

The Canadian finally got his first Tour de France stage victory last year when he won the first stage to finish atop the Puy de Dôme in 35 years. Now he’s heading to the Giro in the hopes of scoring a complete set of grand tour stage wins. His team is filled with stage hunters and opportunists, so he’ll certainly have several chances to play his hand. The 37-year-old former world-class distance runner will likely be targeting some of the Giro’s longer mountain stages and, therefore, won’t be worried about losing time during the first week (and in the time trials) so that the GC contenders leave him alone to chase stages in the second and third week.

Nairo Quintana (Movistar)

Quintana won the Giro in 2014, a year after bursting onto the scene with a podium finish at the 2013 Tour de France . But the 34-year-old hasn’t raced since finishing sixth overall in the 2022 Tour and then having his results disqualified after testing positive for tramadol, a painkiller that’s banned by the UCI (but not banned by WADA). He’s now back in the WorldTour with Movistar, the team with whom he recorded best results. But his return has not been a popular one , and it will be interesting to see how he’s treated by riders and fans. He says he’s racing for stage wins (not the General Classification) and would justify Movistar’s risky investment if he gets one.

Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)

Milan was one of the biggest surprises of last year’s Giro. Racing for Bahrain-Victorious, the Italian won a stage and the ciclamino jersey as the winner of the Giro’s Points Classification. He then signed with Lidl-Trek, where one would assume he’s getting more money and more opportunities to ride for himself. Now he’s heading back to his home grand tour and hoping to build on last year’s success—albeit against much tougher competition. Multiple stage wins and another ciclamino jersey are good goals for the 23-year-old, and he has a team filled with fast finishers to help him.

Fabio Jakobsen (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL)

Jakobsen transferred to DSM this past off-season after several years with Soudal-Quick Step, where he blossomed from an up-and-comer into a proven grand tour field sprinter (despite a horrible crash in the 2020 Tour of Poland that put him in a medically-induced coma).

But in 2024 Quick-Step is all-in on Remco Evenepoel’s GC chances at the Tour de France , and there wasn’t room on the Tour squad for both a sprinter and a GC contender, so Jakobsen left. So far, the 27-year-old has won just one race this year, but a couple of victories at the Giro would certainly make his new team happy and cement his place on their roster for the Tour.

Caleb Ewan (Jayco AlUla)

Ewan started his career with Orica-GreenEdge, winning stages in all three grand tours before accepting a lucrative offer from Lotto-Soudal (now Lotto-Dstny) prior to the 2019 season. But after a bitter divorce ended the Australian’s five-year tenure with the Belgian team, he’s now back home, with Jayco AlUla, the current iteration of the Orica program with which he cut his teeth. His season hasn’t been the greatest so far—he’s won just two races. But assuming he’s recovered from the health issues that ruined his spring, he’s primed to get back on track with a stage win or two.

Magnus Sheffield (INEOS Grenadiers) and Luke Lamperti (Soudal-Quick Step)

This year’s Giro will mark the grand tour debut for Sheffield and Lamperti, two young Americans who have turned lots of heads so far in their careers. Despite being just 22 years old, Sheffield is a third-year pro who’s already won some important races. Now, he gets a shot at his first grand tour, where he’ll be a contender in the Giro’s two individual time trials.

Lamperti is a rookie at Soudal-Quick Step, and while he hasn’t won his first race–yet–he’s proven himself to be a fast finisher and a valuable teammate. At the Giro, his first goal will be helping Belgium’s Tim Merlier win a few stages, but we won’t be surprised to see the 21-year-old win one of the race’s trickier uphill sprint finishes.

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Luke Rowe, who helped 3 leaders win the Tour de France, will retire at the end of the season

FILE - Britain’s Luke Rowe competes in the twentieth stage of the Tour de France cycling race, an individual time trial over 22.5 kilometers (14 miles) with start and finish in Marseille, southern France, on July 22, 2017. British cyclist Luke Rowe, who played a role in five Tour de France victories for three different leaders, will retire at the end of the season. The 34-years-old Rowe, a good classic rider, has been riding with the team which was then known as Sky since 2012. He took part in eight consecutive editions of the Tour de France. (AP Photo/Claude Paris, File)

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LONDON (AP) — British cyclist Luke Rowe, who played a role in five Tour de France victories for three different leaders, will retire at the end of the season, his Ineos Grenadiers team said Friday.

The 34-year-old Rowe, a good classic rider, has been with the team which was previously known as Sky since 2012.

He took part in eight consecutive editions of the Tour, helping Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal to victory, often in the role of road captain.

Rowe had signed a new 2-year contract to remain with Ineos Grenadiers through to 2025 but decided to bring forward his retirement by a season after getting injured in a crash during the E3 Saxo Classic in March.

“I’ve had an amazing career and I have absolutely no regrets,” he said. “But the last 18 months have been testing in different ways and with this latest crash and resulting injury, it just feels like now is the right time to bow out, head home to Wales and spend a bit more time with my family.”

Rowe says he still hopes to race again this year, “with the Tour of Britain being my dream race to end on.”

Cycling: https://apnews.com/hub/cycling

Thomas Pesquet désespère lui aussi de ne pas avoir de billets pour les concerts de Taylor Swift

Source : Top Info

L’astronaute français a lancé une bouteille à la mer ce lundi afin de pouvoir assister à l’un des shows que la star américaine donnera à Paris La Défense Arena en fin de semaine. "Et sinon, personne n’a une place qu’il n’utilisera samedi ?", a-t-il écrit sur X. Autant dire que son message n’est pas resté bien longtemps sans réponse.

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Thomas Pesquet dans l'espace

La popularité de Taylor Swift n’a pas de limites. Même pas celles de l’atmosphère. La chanteuse américaine sera heureuse de savoir qu’elle peut compter parmi ses nombreux fans, les Swifties, le plus célèbre des astronautes français. À l’approche des quatre concerts parisiens de la star, qui ouvre sa tournée européenne à Paris La Défense Arena ce jeudi 9 mai , Thomas Pesquet a tenté le tout pour le tout en lançant un appel sur X. "Et sinon, personne n’a une place qu’il n’utilisera pas pour Taylor Swift à Paris samedi ? C’est pour un ami, bien sûr…" , lance-t-il.

Hello @Thom_astro , ok mais on n'a pas de parking pour ta fusée 🤔🚀 (Passe en DM) — Paris La Défense Arena (@ParisLaDefArena) May 6, 2024

Sa bouteille à la mer a rapidement trouvé plusieurs destinataires, heureux de pouvoir prêter main forte à l’astronaute. Paris La Défense Arena, stade fermé de plus de 40.000 place, lui a dit "ok" , précisant "ne pas avoir de parking pour sa fusée". "On peut t’accueillir au Groupama Stadium en juin pour le concert de Taylor Swift si tu veux" , ajoute l’enceinte lyonnaise où se produira la chanteuse américaine les 2 et 3 juin. En France, plus d’un million de personnes ont tenté de se connecter pour acheter un ticket lors des différentes mises en ventes. La salle parisienne met d'ailleurs en garde contre les nombreuses arnaques qui courent en ligne.

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Thomas Pesquet aura eu plus de chance que son collègue américain Scott Kelly, victime de la vente chaotique par Ticketmaster outre-Atlantique à l’automne 2022 . Prise d’assaut dès les préventes, la billetterie réservée à des fans certifiés n’avait pu maintenir la vente générale faute de tickets à distribuer. "Vraiment ? J’ai essayé de suivre le parcours des fans certifiés mais ça n’a pas fonctionné. J’avais prévu d’acheter mes billets demain. C’est quoi ce bordel ? Les Swifties, il faut se rebeller et manifester !" , avait tweeté l’ancien astronaute de la Nasa. Suffisant pour faire dire aux fans de la popstar qu’il était au final peut-être plus facile d’aller dans l’espace que d’obtenir les fameux sésames pour le "Eras Tour", la tournée la plus rentable de l’histoire.

Sur le même thème

• # Taylor Swift
• Sciences Thomas Pesquet dans l'espace

Mort à 54 ans de Géraldine Carré, ancienne présentatrice de "Confessions Intimes" sur TF1 Publié le 4 mai 2024 à 17h57

Adele revient enfin en europe mais il faudra traverser la frontière pour la voir en concert publié le 31 janvier 2024 à 15h57, dj snake aussi fort que beyoncé : son concert au stade de france complet "en 3 minutes" publié le 8 décembre 2023 à 14h02, madonna enfin de retour sur scène : à quoi va ressembler sa tournée best-of publié le 13 octobre 2023 à 19h21, taylor swift en concert en france : la plateforme de billets victime d’une panne technique publié le 11 juillet 2023 à 14h42, attendue à paris et à lyon, taylor swift enfin prête à vivre sa love story avec la france publié le 21 juin 2023 à 17h56, la billetterie des concerts français de taylor swift donne déjà des sueurs froides à ses fans publié le 21 juin 2023 à 12h16, le "phénomène" taylor swift en 5 chiffres publié le 19 avril 2024 à 11h56, de beyoncé à madonna, pourquoi acheter des billets de concert est presque devenu mission impossible publié le 9 février 2023 à 18h58, non, thomas pesquet n'a pas suggéré que l'homme n'était jamais allé sur la lune publié le 31 août 2022 à 13h39, tout tf1 info, qu’est-ce que le syndrome de hikikomori qui touche de plus en plus de français publié hier à 18h00, ces erreurs que font trop souvent les jardiniers en plantant de la menthe publié hier à 20h00, attention à ces habitudes qui endommagent votre boîte de vitesses publié hier à 12h00, 4 signes qui prouvent que vous êtes dans une relation toxique publié le 11 décembre 2023 à 10h00, affaire kendji girac : sa compagne soraya brise le silence et nie la thèse du "chantage au suicide" publié hier à 19h06, vidéo - "je ne sais toujours pas ce que j'ai" : les confidences d'hélène ségara sur sa maladie des yeux publié hier à 21h01, oubliez la musculation, ces trois exercices de gainage sont beaucoup plus efficaces pour travailler le corps publié le 3 mai 2024 à 11h00, la plateforme airbnb a-t-elle annoncé un confinement à venir le 6 juin publié le 1 mai 2024 à 13h12, nos conseils pour se débarrasser efficacement des fourmis sans insecticides publié le 2 mai 2024 à 19h00, enquête - harceler les pickpockets : la méthode extrême de lycéens qui s'improvisent justiciers publié aujourd'hui à 7h30, en direct - xi jinping en france : le président chinois convié à un dîner d'état à l'élysée publié aujourd'hui à 21h16, météo du 6 mai 2024 : prévisions météo à 20h55 publié aujourd'hui à 20h59, en direct - gaza : israël "examine" la proposition de cessez-le-feu acceptée par le hamas publié aujourd'hui à 20h44, le 20 heures du lundi 6 mai 2024 publié aujourd'hui à 20h40, environnement : que reproche la commission européenne à 20 compagnies aériennes, dont air france  publié aujourd'hui à 20h34, "baby crash" : au fil des mois, enregistre-t-on des naissances "à des plus bas historiques" en france publié aujourd'hui à 20h06, votre robinet fuit : comment stopper ce goutte-à-goutte qui rend fou publié aujourd'hui à 20h00, chine : est-il vrai qu’aucune juridiction internationale ne s'est saisie de la cause des ouïghours publié aujourd'hui à 19h31, le conseil d'état interdit définitivement certaines formes de chasses traditionnelles publié aujourd'hui à 19h31, perpignan : les restos du cœur réintègrent colombe, la bénévole écartée après une prise de parole sur le rn publié aujourd'hui à 19h10, bernard pivot, ancien présentateur et écrivain, est mort à l’âge de 89 ans publié aujourd'hui à 15h04, "the voice" : ces deux talents peuvent dire merci à camille lellouche après les cross-battles publié hier à 0h24, "je ne ressemble pas à mamie nova " : maïtena biraben part en guerre contre les stéréotypes sur les quinquas publié aujourd'hui à 14h04, le dodécaèdre, cet étrange objet romain qui intrigue les archéologues publié le 2 mai 2024 à 16h28, prêté par le musée d’orsay, le tableau "l'origine du monde" a été tagué au centre pompidou-metz publié aujourd'hui à 17h19, renaud marié pour la troisième fois : il a épousé sa compagne cerise ce samedi à paris publié le 4 mai 2024 à 19h51, vidéo - "un p'tit truc en plus" : le carton d'artus au cinéma publié aujourd'hui à 16h35.

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Madonna closes Celebration Tour playing to 1.6 million fans in Brazil

Aerial shots of Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach show massive swaths of fans.

Madonna performed the final show of her Celebration Tour to 1.6 million fans at Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach on Saturday night -- a record for a stand-alone show, according to tour organizer Live Nation.

MORE: Kylie Minogue joins Madonna onstage during Celebration Tour: Watch

The tour, which celebrated four decades of Madonna's hits, came to a close in Brazil on Saturday night with the free concert.

"Copacabana Beach was turned into the world's largest dance floor as Madonna performed some of her biggest hits from her peerless music catalog," Live Nation said in a press release. "The Celebration Tour does not only honor Madonna's four decades of iconic music but is an homage to her unprecedented life, unique artistry and groundbreaking career."

Aerial shots of Copacabana Beach showed massive swaths of fans covering the shoreline, engulfed in several sets of concert lights.

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"The show will be free of charge as a thank you to her fans for celebrating more than four decades of her music over the course of the epic global run of the tour," a portion of Madonna's announcement of the show in March read on her website.

The Rolling Stones had held the previous stand-alone record since 2006, for a concert at the same venue, according to Live Nation.

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Madonna Wraps Celebration Tour With Record-Setting Free Concert in Rio de Janeiro

The concert at Copacabana Beach on May 4 attracted more than 1.6 million fans.

By Mitchell Peters

Mitchell Peters

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Madonna wrapped her Celebration Tour with a massive free concert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Madonna Brings Out Anitta & Pabllo Vittar at Massive Concert in Rio de Janeiro

The Queen of Pop closed her global trek with a record-breaking show at Rio’s Copacabana Beach on Saturday (May 4), drawing more than 1.6 million fans to the majestic site.

Although Copacabana Beach has seen larger crowds during past New Year’s Eve events, Madonna’s free concert beats the previous record held by the Rolling Stones , who performed there in 2006, according to a news release from promoter Live Nation.

The 65-year-old pop superstar’s Rio show also surpasses her record attendance of 130,000 fans at Paris’ Parc des Sceaux in 1987, the Associated Press reports . Ahead of the Rio concert, dubbed the “Celebration in Rio,” Madonna’s website touted the free event as the “biggest gig yet” of her four-decade career.

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The Rio show was sponsored by Itaú bank and marked Madonna’s first show in Brazil since 2012. Tickets were made available to fans on a first-come first-serve basis on the day of the event.

Rio de Janeiro marked the last stop on Madonna’s Celebration Tour, which is projected to earn more than $225 million. The tour launched in London in October 2023 before visiting Canada, the U.S. and Mexico City.

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Madonna in Rio Livestream: How to Watch the Singer’s ‘Celebration Tour’ Concert in Brazil for Free

The Queen of Pop is giving away free tickets to fans in Brazil, but for everyone else, there are a few ways to livestream Madonna's Copacabana Beach show online free.

By Tim Chan

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Madonna is closing out her “ Celebration Tour ” with a historic free concert tonight in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil streaming live on Globoplay .

The aptly-named “Madonna in Rio” concert takes place live from Copacabana Beach tonight, Saturday, May 4 at 9:45 p.m. local time (8:45 p.m. ET). This is the final stop on Madonna’s world tour and The Queen of Pop is giving away free tickets to fans in Brazil, on a first-come, first-served basis. As for everyone else, there are a few ways to livestream Madonna’s Brazil show online free.

How to Watch Madonna Brazil Concert Online Free

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Even better: you can get a three-day free trial to Sling right now, that will give you access to Globo and Globoplay (the TV channel’s official streaming arm). Use the free trial to livestream Madonna’s Rio concert online free without cable.

How to Watch Madonna Brazil Concert From the U.S.

Another way to get a live feed of Madonna’s final show? Use a virtual private network (VPN) and set your location to Brazil, to watch the free livestream on Globoplay. We like ExpressVPN ( from $6.67 a month ) or NordVPN ( from $3.99 a month ), which both let you watch Madonna’s Brazil concert from the U.S. and anywhere in the world.

Madonna’s Copacabana Beach concert marks the last stop on her acclaimed “Celebration Tour,” and also marks the singer’s first show in Brazil since 2012. Crews have set up a stage in front of the Belmond Copacabana Palace Hotel, and local officials have said the show could bring out as many as two million fans.

While previous stops on the tour have brought out special guests like FKA Twigs, Ricky Martin and Salma Hayek, it’s not clear who — if anyone — will appear on stage with Madonna tonight. Still, expect an appearance from Bob the Drag Queen (a.k.a. Caldwell Tidicue), who has opened for Madonna on all dates of the global tour.

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Madonna attracts 1.6M fans for free concert in Brazil to wrap up her Celebration tour

RIO DE JANEIRO − More than a million people thronged Brazil's Copacabana beach for a free Madonna concert on Saturday, braving the heat to see the end of her "Celebration" world tour .

The sand and oceanfront boulevard around Rio de Janeiro's famed beach were filled for several blocks by a crowd the city estimated at 1.6 million.

Many had been there for hours or even days to get a good spot, while richer fans anchored in dozens of boats near the beach and onlookers crowded beachfront apartments.

Firefighters sprayed water before the concert, when temperatures exceeded 86 degrees Fahrenheit, to cool fans gathered near the pop queen's stage, and drinking water was distributed for free. Temperatures were around 81 F during the late night show.

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Madonna, 65, performed songs such as "Like a Prayer," "Vogue" and "Express Yourself" for more than two hours starting at 10:45 p.m. as she wound up the greatest hits tour that started late last year.

"Rio, here we are, in the most beautiful place in the world, with the ocean, the mountains, Jesus," Madonna told the crowd, referring to the city's huge mountaintop Christ the Redeemer statue. "Magic."

Brazilian pop artists Anitta and Pabllo Vittar, as well as younger musicians from samba schools, participated in the show.

More than 3,000 police officers were deployed around the concert area, where the Rolling Stones and Rod Stewart have also drawn million-strong crowds. The authorities used a crowd-management strategy similar to their handling of the city's famous New Year's Eve celebrations.

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Brazilian authorities have stepped up their vigilance to head off heat-related health problems after a young Brazilian fan died from heat exhaustion at one of Taylor Swift's Eras tour shows last year.

Rio's state and city governments said they spent 20 million reais ($3.9 million) on the concert, while the rest was financed by private sponsors. The authorities estimate the concert could bring about 300 million reais to Rio's economy.

Contributing: Leonardo Benessato, Renato Spyrro, Rodrigo Viga Gaier, Sebastian Rocandio and Sergio Queiroz in Rio de Janeiro, and Andre Romani in Sao Paulo

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Madonna will perform at Rio's Copacabana beach to close out her tour

Julia Carneiro

Over a million fans are expected to turn up on Rio's famous Copacabana beach Saturday for Madonna's end-of-tour mega concert.

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Giro d'Italia stage 3 Live - The sprinters' first dance

'His training is producing really good numbers' – Roglič recovered from Itzulia injuries, builds toward Tour de France

Head sports director tells Cyclingnews the 2023 Giro d'Italia winner is confirmed for training camps, Criterium du Dauphine

2023 Giro d’Italia winner Primož Roglič may not be at the race this year, but his Bora-Hansgrohe team says he is building well for the Tour de France , with his injuries from the Itzulia Basque Country now firmly in the rear view mirror.

Like so many other top names, Roglič was caught up in the horrendous late crash in stage 4 of the Itzulia at the start of April , in the Slovenian’s case while leading the race, and although he did not suffer any fractures, he abandoned with a knee injury and then skipped the Ardennes Classics.

However, as head sports director at Bora-Hansgrohe Rolf Aldag told Cyclingnews at the start of stage 2 of the Giro, Roglič is currently continuing with his full training program for July, with recons of the Pyrenean Tour stages and more training camps to be followed by a participation, as expected, in the Criterium du Dauphine .

“I don’t know if Primož is watching the Giro or not,” Aldag said regarding whether the Slovenian was interested in seeing how Tadej Pogačar and co. were faring in the early stages of the race he won last year but decided to sit out in 2024. “But I do know I’ll be seeing him soon for another recon of the Pyrenees and then we go to altitude. Then we’ll go together to the Dauphine.”

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“So Primož has to live with the fact that he’s going to see me more in the next two months than his wife and family,” Aldag said with a laugh.“But things are looking very positive. For sure he lost [preparation]  time [as a result of the crash], for sure we would have loved to win the Itzulia Pais Vasco GC with him, that’s also clear. But now, I think he was doing really well.”

Roglič has so far had just 11 full race days with his new Bora-Hansgrohe squad, which he switched to from Jumbo-Visma at the start of the year, with Paris-Nice in March his first race of the season. After that he went to Itzulia Basque Country, where he lined up against the likes of Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), taking the jersey on the first time trial stage and holding it until the day he had to leave because of the crash that took all three – and more – out of the race.

“That result is not there, but obviously we at least have Paris-Nice, which didn’t work out as planned, but we had some very positive signs," said Aldag. 

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“We knew integration takes time after eight years in the same squad” [Jumbo-Visma], “which is a super-organised, structured team and that there would be some hiccups. But Pais Vasco was a sign he was moving in the right direction, and now we just pick up on that, catch up on that and continue that story.”

The story has always had the Tour de France as a focal point. After winning the Giro d'Italia last year Roglič skipped the race – where his then teammate Vingegaard swept up a second overall victory in a row – but with his new team comes the opportunity to take aim at the one Grand Tour where the Slovenian has not claimed overall victory.

“We’re not really afraid of the Tour start, the Tour result or anything,” said Aldag.

Injury wise there were no lasting consequences for Roglič from the Itzulia crash, Aldag said. "His training is producing really good numbers. So it’s not just what he says about how he feels, we have objective numbers and he’s doing pretty good.”

As for the current Grand Tour that is underway and the team that is at the Giro d’Italia, Bora-Hansgrohe will be relying on Danny van Poppel for the bunch sprints, with teammate Dani Martinez – later second on the stage at Oropa and running third on GC – looking for a top five overall in Rome, Aldag says.

“That’s realistic to plan for. You always hope for better, but realistically winning the Giro with Pogačar here is probably in the categories of dreams and hopes, maybe a combination of both.”

“But apart from [Tadej] Pogačar there is a lot of room for manoeuvre, and for sure we’ll go for it with him. Protect him, look for spaces, and take opportunities, and his talent will hopefully allows us to finish somewhere between [GC placing number] two and five.”

Further down the line, Roglič will return to front-line action at the Tour de France, where the team will likely be looking to step up their GC battle plans for the summer at the biggest bike race of all. But for now, it’s Martinez who is looking to carry the torch for Bora-Hansgrohe in a race which the German team won overall back in 2022 with Jai Hindley, and where they are surely looking to shine again this May.

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Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews , he has also written for The Independent ,  The Guardian ,  ProCycling , The Express and Reuters .

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