Kruijswijk: I feel really strong after this weekend

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Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo) may insist that he is as surprised as everyone else to find himself leading the Giro d’Italia by more than two minutes as the race enters its final week, but he didn’t seem remotely fazed by his new status when he met with reporters during Monday’s rest day.

A week ago in Tuscany, Kruijswijk’s rest day press conference was a low-key affair, attended primarily by a handful of Dutch reporters on their way to see Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin). Seven days on, a rather more eclectic spread of media outlets descended upon the mountain town of Natz – still in Italy, albeit German-speaking South Tyrol – to hear the maglia rosa’s thoughts.

This Giro, certainly, is speaking a different language to one anticipated beforehand. Rather than a straight battle between home favourite Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) and Spanish challengers Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Mikel Landa (Sky), it is Kruijswijk who holds a commanding lead in the overall standings.

Rabobank and injury