▁ ▁Most ▁pre - race ▁anal ys es ▁identified ▁Ivan ▁B asso , ▁C adel ▁Evans , ▁and ▁Carlos ▁S ast re ▁as ▁the ▁major ▁favor ites ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁overall ▁classification , ▁with ▁Evans ▁perhaps ▁the ▁cons ensus ▁pick . ▁B asso ▁and ▁S ast re ▁had ▁both ▁r idden ▁the ▁G iro ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁and ▁come ▁away ▁finishing ▁in ▁the ▁top ▁five . ▁S ast re ▁also ▁won ▁two ▁difficult ▁mountain ▁stages ▁in ▁the ▁race ' s ▁final ▁week , ▁and ▁was ▁noted ▁as ▁a ▁r ider ▁who ▁gets ▁stronger ▁as ▁a ▁race ▁goes ▁along , ▁making ▁the ▁G iro ' s ▁very ▁clim bing - int ensive ▁third ▁week ▁possibly ▁sit ▁in ▁his ▁favor . ▁Evans ▁had ▁finished ▁on ▁a ▁Grand ▁Tour ▁pod ium ▁in ▁each ▁of ▁the ▁past ▁three ▁seasons , ▁including ▁in ▁the ▁most ▁recent ▁three - week ▁event , ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁V uel ta ▁a ▁España . ▁He ▁also ▁entered ▁the ▁race ▁as ▁the ▁reign ing ▁world ▁cy cling ▁champion ▁and ▁had ▁had ▁a ▁successful ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁season ▁to ▁date , ▁with ▁a ▁win ▁in ▁La ▁Fl è che ▁Wall onne ▁and ▁a ▁pod ium ▁finish ▁in ▁the ▁Tir reno – Ad ri at ico . ▁Ne ither ▁B asso ▁nor ▁S ast re ▁had ▁rac ed ▁much ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁season ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁G iro . ▁Other ▁rid ers ▁named ▁as ▁cont enders ▁included ▁Brad ley ▁W igg ins ,