On the Giro being back in May:

"I think it’s really good it’s back on the current schedule. The Giro has always been historically in May which adds to it the snow in the mountains. Last year, we had it at the time of year that we’d never seen before and they climbed the Stelvio without any snow for example. Part of the race is tackling the weather conditions. We’ve got Zoncolan this year, which the likes of Pantani raced, so it should be special. It’s great to have the Giro back where it belongs. Having Bernal, Italy’s favourite Vincenzo Nibali – twice a winner and someone I love and have a lot of admiration for… It’s going to be a great race. I’m really excited for it."

On Simon Yates and his ghosts from the Giro:

"My winner is Simon Yates. He has unfinished business from when Chris Froome won… Simon is an incredible athlete. It’s the first year he’s not with his brother. They are very close, they worked very well together and they also did a lot of races these last few years where they worked together. Simon has proved he can win a Grand Tour, he won the Vuelta, he’s very unfazed, he deals with disappointment very well, but he also deals with success very well as well which I think is a very key thing. He’s very placid, he just goes about his business and there is no-nonsense about him. For me, I think he is the favourite for this race, I really do. I think this is his time, his moment, he is a very mature rider now, it’s been two years since he won La Vuelta, it’s three years since the 'Chris Froome Giro' and the explosion there – time has passed and I think that this is his moment now to re-capture this."

On who are his biggest competitors:

"Hugh Carthy will be up there. I think Remco Evenepoel who is coming back after a horrific crash but he is looking every bit like the rider he was before the crash. Never discount Vincenzo Nibali, it’s maybe his last Giro. Maybe, hopefully not, but I think he will definitely be up there around proceedings. Almeida definitely has unfinished business and will have learnt a lot from that race last year. He was very inexperienced, a young rider who held the jersey for such a long time."

On Egan Bernal:

"There are questions over the fragility within his races. As a Tour winner, you could look at him being demoted within his team as Geraint Thomas is on the warpath winning the Tour de Romandie. The question over who is the big team leader has been answered: it’s Geraint Thomas again.

"There are question marks over whether his back injury is still plaguing him but also over his form because we haven’t seen much of him since Paris-Nice. Once people see you’re beatable, the hype around you going into a race fades and that’s the case for Bernal now. There a question marks about his fragility and ability to last three weeks, even as a Tour winner."

On Norway’s Tobias Foss:

"Tobias Foss doesn’t seem phased. He is assured of himself and has every chance of making it into the top ten, it will be a learning experience at least."I think he will be top 10. Being Norwegian, with the high mountains and if there is snow he will deal with the altitude as well. I think he looks hungry from last year. That was a huge disappointment for him last year coming out – I think we would have seen a lot of him last year but I think that this is going to be his resurrection."

On Denmark’s Mikkel Honoré:

"I think he has unfinished business. The Giro is a race that every bike racer knows is difficult. Once the time gaps are big and you get big breaks, it’s a winnable race for any rider. He’s going to be hungry for success after last year."

On João Almeida and Deceuninck-QuickStep:

"Almeida definitely has unfinished business and will have learnt a lot from that race last year. He was very inexperienced, a young rider who held the jersey for such a long time. Him and Almeida will play that double-edged sword this year with them both for Deceuninck as the race is wide open."

On Jai Hindley and Team DSM:

"Jai Hindley will have another good race this year. He’s not in my top three favourites this year but he wasn’t last year. He’s not a rider that will thrive of being a favourite but he’s tough and he just gets stuck in. He’ll be better off as an underdog like he was last year. He’ll be looking to get back on the podium like last year and proving that wasn’t just a flash in the pan."

On Filippo Ganna:

"Filippo Ganna is a superstar and I can't see anyone beating him in the prologue. He's made his intentions clear that he wants to do the hour record too and I think he will put that out of sight."

 On last year's winner: Tao Geoghegan Hart

"He’s a Grand Tour winner and the next logical step for him is the Tour de France and provide himself further. You can win the Giro or La Vuelta, like Simon Yates did the other year, and the natural step up is doing the Tour. It’s never natural to come back to the Giro, defend it and be the number one. It’s like you’ve proved yourself, but haven’t proved yourself enough. It’s a shame he’s not coming back to the Tour. It would’ve been good to see s British champion defend their title. For Tao, the next pathway is the Tour."

On British Riders:

"James Knox has been on the way up. This really is a race for guys like him and Simon Yates who obviously won it a few years ago. Hugh Carthy came third at the Vuelta last year, Tao [Geoghegan Hart] won the Giro, it’s like success breeds success. The younger riders and younger British riders especially are seeing the possibility that they can do something. Whether that’s a stage win or a top ten, but also winning a Grand Tour now is not out of the question for a British rider."

Surprise candidates:

"The biggest surprise will come from the British riders. James Knox is ready to step up. It’s definitely a chance for a podium spot. It’s not out of the question we can have two British riders on the podium this year, certainly one."

On younger riders doing well:

"The Grand Tours are showing no matter what your age, 21, 21 – we saw Almeida leading for so, Jai Hindley, Geoghegan Hart winning of course – it’s not inconceivable young riders can win a Grand Tour now and they no longer have to wait. Anyone is in with a shout."

On the Norwegian Pro Team:

"They  are not fearful of anyone. Cycling has changed so much, in the past you had teams come - Qhubeka, 7-Eleven, Sky… when it started in its formation, there was a traditional element to cycling where you had to almost earn your place within the peloton. I think those days have gone now and teams like this could come in, put their mark down straight away and there is no fear factor about them – there is no fear like “are we achieving too much, too soon”. Their early season has proved that they are here to race, and they are here to win races because ultimately that is what sport is about. It’s about competing and anyone who has a number on their back has the right to do that. I think they are really enjoying it as well, which I think is good and they are getting a good following along the way in terms of support and I think it’s brilliant what they are doing. I love the ethos about the team, I love the way they conduct themselves, they all seem really humble guys, they are not arrogant, they are not making big claims about what they are going to do – they are not saying we are going to win the Tour in five years or anything like that! It’s just very organic and letting it grow."

On whether they deserved a wildcard at the Giro:

"I think they did. I really do. A Grand Tour is the sort of thing that really inspires a team to move on to the next level really, but it can also break a team. I think they would have been ready this year, but it is what it is. I’m sure they’ll get an invite to the Vuelta or an event like that – I think they will get a spot somewhere this year, but I think it will inspire them to keep on moving on, pushing on. They’ve got the back, they’ve got great team leadership, they’ve got some good riders and they are also producing results as well."

On the course this year:

"I think just in general, despite the names that are on the stages, the terrain throughout every Giro is very unique. You can’t fail to recognise that you’re racing in Italy on the big climbs particularly with the big crowds on the climbs. We saw Miguel Ángel López a couple of years ago lash out at a spectator and it’s very recognisable. It all adds to the spectacle of it." 

"It was only a few years ago that Nibali came back from three and a half minutes to win the Giro. It’s never over until it’s over in the Giro and I think its terrain lends itself to that. I think that the way the course is structured – you could have a mountain-stage just a few days into the race – and it comes thick and fast."

On the new water bottle rules:

"It’s a tough one isn’t it. The water bottle thing is just part of the sport. Riders now are taking on a lot more nutrition and going through more bottles with caffeine in for example. It’s another restriction that’s coming off the back of crashes. It’s a safety element and rules are rules; it’s definitely not a bad thing."

On what it takes to win a Grand Tour:

"It’s about being 90% good for three weeks. Not having bad days but not needed great days either. That’s the key to Grand Tour riding. Some riders can have exceptional days – we’ve seen Alaphilippe have great days and then fall away; we saw Almeida have some superb days then really fall away. His fifth place at the opening stage last year was key to that. Staying healthy is essential and this year with the Giro back in May, it brings the unpredictable weather conditions that make it so difficult."

On his favourite memories of riding the Giro:

"My favourite memory was my first Giro in 2003 – riding with Marco Pantani. That was a special thing to do. Mario Cipollini was also World Champion riding that race and I’ll never forget that."