What are Bahrain Victorious' Giro plans? ft. Bahrain's Director Sportif - Domestique Hotseat Podcast

In this episode, Gorazd Štangelj joins Aidan in the Hotseat for a look inside the role of a sports director, from preseason planning and race tactics to the split second decisions made from the team car. Gorazd explains why modern racing has become faster and more chaotic, with positioning now often deciding races before the climbs even begin. He reflects on his own Giro history, the race’s unique demands, and why experience with Italian roads, weather and racing culture still matters. The conversation then turns to Bahrain Victorious’ Giro d’Italia plans. Santiago Buitrago leads the team for GC, but Štangelj makes clear that Bahrain will also hunt stages through riders such as Damiano Caruso, Afonso Eulálio, Alex Segaert and Edoardo Zambanini. He also breaks down the difference between racing against Visma and UAE, where small tactical windows can open, and why Bahrain’s targets are a strong GC finish and an early stage win to lift the whole team. The episode closes with thoughts on bonus seconds, the white jersey, young talents like Paul Seixas, and the relentless post stage routine of a Grand Tour sports director. 1:10 - Introduction of Gorazd Štangelj 3:55 - Importance of having two sports directors 5:43 - Challenges of racing on cobbled roads 7:31 - Importance of rider positioning in races 9:59 - Increased speeds making racing more dangerous 11:43 - Changes in cycling from past to present 13:38 - Cycling's growth as a respected sport 16:31 - Familiarity with Giro d'Italia climbs 19:27 - Strategy for jersey hunting 22:47 - Stages in Bulgaria and team strategy 25:08 - Importance of taking risks in racing 29:32 - Debriefing after each race stage 34:27 - Team aims for top five in GC 37:30 - Stage seven features uphill finish 39:29 - Discussion on the white jersey 41:01 - Young rider Paul Seixas's potential SUBSCRIBE and get notified when a new video drops: 👉 @DomestiqueCycling Get your cycling news and feature articles on Domestique: https://www.domestiquecycling.com/ Follow Domestique on Socials 🔗 👉 X: https://x.com/Domestique___ 👉 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/domestiquecy... 👉 Instagram:   / domestique___   👉 WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBX... 👉 TikTok:   / domestiquecycling   👉 Facebook:   / domestiquecyclingcom   👉 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/36bP23f...