Primoz Roglic Gears Up for Giro d'Italia Battle

Primoz Roglic is set to start the 106th Giro d'Italia as a leading favourite for the Maglia Rosa.

The Slovenian Olympic road TT champion crashed on stage 16, ending his fightback.

Remco Evenepoel won his first Grand Tour race after Roglic's crash.

Roglic has silenced doubts about his recovery by winning three stages at Tirreno-Adriatico and the GC.

He will be looking to make his move later in the race, with stage 20 potentially decisive.

The 18km time trial up a vicious climb near the Italian border with Slovenia will be a key test.

The Giro d'Italia starts at Fossacesia Marina on Italy's Adriatic Sea coast, covering 3,489 kilometres.

The course includes five brutal mountain stages, with 51,000 metres of climbing.

Roglic will face stiff competition from Evenepoel, who has already shown great form this season.

Evenepoel arrived in Italy on the back of winning the final spring classic, Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

Roglic will have to overcome obstacles, including two flat time trials in the first nine stages.

He will be looking to gain time on his rivals, including INEOS Grenadiers' Tao Geoghegan Hart and Geraint Thomas.

Portugal's Joao Almeida and France's Thibaut Pinot will also be eyeing the podium.

Philippe Gilbert, a three-time Giro stage winner, believes the three time trials could be worth as much as a minute for the GC contenders.

Gilbert will be analysing the race for Eurosport, and hopes Roglic and Evenepoel stay fit and healthy until the end.

Roglic's experience and form make him a strong contender for the Maglia Rosa.

The first big moves in the GC classification may come on stage seven, with the summit finish at Gran Sasso d'Italia.

Roglic will be looking to make his mark on the race, and take a step closer to winning the Giro d'Italia.