Pool Betting Tips Giro d'Italia 2024 | Rome wasn't built in a day, and your team for the Italian tour shouldn't be either!

Grand Tours and cycling betting pools are a perfect match. As the Giro d'Italia 2024 approaches, cycling enthusiasts from around the world are once again getting involved in various fantasy games and IDLProCycling.com offers some helpful pointers!

- Preview of the Giro d'Italia 
- Favorites for the general classification (pink jersey)
- Favorites for the points classification (purple jersey)
- Favorites for the mountain classification (blue jersey)
- Favorites for the young rider classification (white jersey)
- Betting pool tips for the Giro d'Italia

You won't find the Tadej Pogacars of this world on this list, but the name Florian Lipowitz will also make many people think: we already know him, don't we? That's right, because this man recently finished very impressively in third place in the Tour de Romandie. Initially, this spot might have been for his teammate Emanuel Buchmann, but despite some promising training sessions, he wasn’t selected by BORA-hansgrohe.

After the withdrawal of Lennard Kämna, the German team is now focusing more on stage wins than originally planned for the upcoming Giro, and Lipowitz seems to be the perfect candidate for this. The former biathlete is known for his strong power-based abilities and has showcased them - after earlier strong performances in places like the Czech Republic and Turkey - now to a broader audience for the first time. BORA-hansgrohe has already extended his contract in April, a decision that in hindsight seems quite wise.

Let's stick with the Germans for a moment, as Max Kanter of Astana Qazaqstan Team is another rider to watch for multiple stages. The formidable German, formerly with Movistar and DSM, recently claimed his first professional victory at the Tour of Turkey. Unlike DSM-Firmenich PostNL’s rising star Tobias Lund, Kanter will primarily have opportunities to chase personal glory at the Giro d'Italia.

Astana Qazaqstan Team is under threat of relegation, which has mixed implications for Kanter. The upside is that he’s been given free rein to aim for high finishes and collect UCI points; the downside is that his seasoned lead-out, Rüdiger Selig, was sacrificed to support team leader Alexey Lutsenko in his quest for vital points. Without Selig, but teamed with Davide Ballerini, Kanter is set to pursue top results.

It’s been eight years since a 21-year-old Giulio Ciccone, in his debut Giro d'Italia with Bardiani-CSF, spectacularly won a stage in Sestola. In 2021, Lorenzo Fortunato from EOLO-Kometa followed suit in a similar fashion, but come 2024, Bardiani is betting on Giulio Pellizzari as their new prodigy.

Just like his peer Davide Piganzoli (Polti-Kometa), Pellizzari turned heads at the Tour de l'Avenir, finishing second just ahead of his compatriot last year. The San Marino native has an ideal mentor in Domenico Pozzovivo, who is keen to pass on his knowledge of the sport to his younger teammate. Will Pellizzari’s first Giro yield success? Only time will tell!

What's true for Astana Qazaqstan Team also holds for Israel-Premier Tech, but in reverse. After being relegated from the WorldTour at the end of 2022, Israel-Premier Tech is keen to regain its status among the top teams, which requires accumulating points. In the Giro d'Italia, Ethan Vernon is one of the key riders tasked with this challenge.

Although primarily known as a sprinter, the British newcomer has a broader skill set. He's adept at time trials and can also manage climbs, making him a perfect fit for a Giro of this nature. Before he shifts his focus to the track events at the Olympic Games later this summer, Vernon will first gather valuable experience in his debut grand tour.

Another standout from Astana Qazaqstan Team is Cristian Scaroni, one of the Italians who we'll probably see on the attack throughout this Giro. While national champion Simone Velasco, known for his punchy style, and climber Lorenzo Fortunato will also have their moments, Scaroni is a rider who straddles these capabilities and thus adapts well across many stages.

This season, he's already drawn attention in Australia and Portugal by keeping pace with the top climbers in the Tour of the Algarve. Moreover, the hill specialist has his eye on mountain jerseys, as evidenced by his ambitions in this year's Paris-Nice.

Anyone who turned on the TV this spring has undoubtedly come across Laurence Pithie from Groupama-FDJ. The strong New Zealander was a prominent competitor in just about every Flemish classic he entered, earning him a lucrative contract with BORA-hansgrohe for next year. But first, Pithie will spend a few more months in French service, starting with the Giro.

He handles the hills well, is adept at positioning, has a strong sprint finish, and typically has a whole team working for him. He is also ambitious, starting his first grand tour with the goal of winning a stage.

Switching focus to another rider from down under, Michael Storer of the Tudor team could potentially snag the Louis Meintjes award. Known for his climbing prowess, Storer is expected to chase a stage victory, but he might also surprise everyone by climbing the general classification ranks during the challenging third week. It's also conceivable that Pogacar and co, former teammates and current road captain at Tudor, Matteo Trentin, might give him a chance to shine and form an alliance for the pink jersey.

That's all speculative, of course, but it’s clear that Storer is an exceptional climber. He proved this in 2022 with two stage wins and the mountain jersey for DSM-Firmenich at the Vuelta, precisely in the role he now holds at Tudor.

Magnus Sheffield is another top talent on this list. The hardy American is gearing up for his grand tour debut and aims to overcome a year and a half of bad luck, culminating in a crash at the Tour of Switzerland. Sheffield is known as a power monster and you should not be surprised if he wins one of the two time trials, while he can also score from a breakaway;

Riding for INEOS Grenadiers, Sheffield showcased his talent again this spring with a sixth place in the Tour of Flanders, underscoring his versatility. Yet, his team seems to be steering him towards stage races for the long term, where Sheffield has already proven himself in several smaller tours last season. Will this Giro, under the wing of Geraint Thomas, be his next big step?

Another team caught in the promotion/relegation carousel is Cofidis, which currently ranks second to last on the UCI World Ranking. At this team too, we are looking for a sprinter who can snatch some notable places here and there, leading us to the compactly built Pole, Stanislaw Aniolkowski. Stefano Oldani is also participating, but like the past two years, he will focus on the more hilly stages.

After several years at a lower level, Aniolkowski is in his first season at the WorldTour level. The 27-year-old Pole had the opportunity to compete against the world's best in the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico, managing to grab a top five finish in both events. Positioning is certainly a strength for him, but... certainty only goes so far!

We had to include a Dutch or Belgian connection in this article (most of our editorial team is Dutch/Belgian, ec.), so it was a choice between Visma | Lease a Bike rider Attila Valter and Soudal Quick-Step rider Mauri Vansevenant. The Belgian gets the benefit of the doubt, as his team really lacks a GC contender.

First and foremost, Vansevenant has earned his place with his aggressive riding style and solid results in the hill classics. Fourth in the Amstel Gold Race, sixth in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and now heading to the Giro as a stage hunter: these are exciting weeks and months for the Belgian who always gives his all!