Van Kerckhove is looking forward to the eight-day race in Italy with great confidence. The young Belgian has had a successful start to the season, having won the Istrian Spring Tour, the Flèche du Sud and the Alpes Isère Tour, among others. He also claimed his first national time trial title in the U23 category. "I’d say I’m absolutely ready for it", says Van Kerckhove enthusiastically. "I’m in good shape and I’m raring to go. That’s the most important thing."

For 19-year-old Van Kerckhove, this will be his second appearance at the start of the Giro Next Gen. Last year, he rode in support of team leader Jørgen Nordhagen, who finished fourth in the general classification. "I learnt a huge amount from him. Among other things, he advised me to do my own thing in the peloton and not to stress too much. He also said I should dare to attack. That’s something I’ve started doing more of this year. You can see that reflected in the results."

With Nordhagen’s advice and last year’s experience, Van Kerckhove hopes to capitalise on his strengths. Backed by Patryk Goszczurny, Sven Mernik, Aldo Taillieu, Elliot Rowe and William Smith, the Belgian believes the team can make a strong impression. "I think we can certainly dream of stage wins and a good overall classification. In principle, any one of us could win a stage. We don’t have a clear-cut leader like last year, but overall we have a very strong team."

The Giro Next Gen route consists of two parts. The first half offers opportunities for sprinters and attackers, whilst the second half will be decisive for the general classification. With mountain finishes at Monte Livata and Piana delle Mele and a 22-kilometre individual time trial, the cards for the general classification won’t be on the table until late in the race. "On day five, a punchy stage awaits on a local circuit. Stages six and seven are mountain finishes and the Giro concludes with a time trial", says sports director Robby Cobbaert.

In terms of ambitions, the Belgian agrees Van Kerckhove. "We have a strong, balanced team, with multiple options for every stage. We’ll assess each day how best to capitalise on them. We don’t want to miss any opportunities and are aiming for at least one stage win. As we head into the second half of the Giro, we’ll see where we stand in the general classification. That’s not something we’ll be focusing on from day one", says Cobbaert.

Van Kerckhove is already keeping a close eye on the time trial. As Belgian champion, he is keen to show what he can do in his new jersey. "I think I certainly have a chance of winning that stage, but the same goes for some of my teammates. If I’m still well-placed in the general classification, it would be a dream scenario to score well in the time trial", said Van Kerckhove, who is looking forward to race on Sunday.

"It’s a huge honour to be able to ride the Giro Next Gen. Not many can say that. It’s the youth version of the real Giro, so that makes it special. If you look at the list of winners, they’re all good riders." Cobbaert believes it is important for the development of young riders that such races are on the calendar. "Look at Tim Rex. He played an important role for Jørgen in the Giro Next Gen last year. This year he was of great value to Jonas in the main Giro. That’s a fine example of just how important the Giro Next Gen can be."