Andy Schleck believes that his compatriot and former teammate, Bob Jungels may win the Giro d'Italia. Twelve stages into the Italian grand tour Jungels wears pink but with numerous mountains dominating the race itinerary over the next few days, the young race leader will be put to the test.

According to Schleck, his former teammate is riding without pressure, having already surpassed all hopes with his performance so far.

"He has no pressure," the now retired Schleck told Cyclingnews. "If he's dropped on Friday during stage 13, that's fine because he's already done more than what was expected of him and with all these factors in play I think that he can win the Giro."

"In his case he doesn't have the pressure. He is young, he has a contract and he's got a team that believes in him. When he goes to bed at night, he just thinks 'I need to hang on and to try to ride well'. It is a different situation for the other riders who fall asleep thinking 'I need to get all these seconds back in order to justify my salary.' That's a huge plus."

Schleck and Jungels rode on the same team in 2013 and 2014, when they wore RadioShack Leopard and then Trek Factory Racing colours, and the elder of the two drew comparisons between Jungels' 2016 ride and his own experience of riding the Giro in 2007. That year Schleck, in his grand tour debut, finished second overall behind Danilo Di Luca, and claimed the white jersey.

"It's a bit like my ride in the Giro back in 2007. I had no pressure after stage 8 or 9 so everything that happened after that was just a bonus. That's one of the reasons I was riding so well."

Like many pundits, Schleck remains uncertain as to how Jungels will manage in the high mountains in the Giro. Last year Jungels performed admirably in the final week of the Tour de France, even picking up a few placings in the Alps. Competing at the head of a Grand Tour is a completely different experience, though, and Jungels is facing his toughest challenge yet as a professional rider.

"I'm still a little bit concerned about the high mountains and some of the stages to come but he has the wind in his sail. He's a nice guy, he comes over well with the press, he's good looking, so the ladies love him and he has empathy with the fans."

Schleck's best advice is for Jungels to maintain a cool head and select his battles carefully.