According to the current maglia rosa holder himself, alongside Wilco Kelderman (Belkin), Rafał Majka emerged as one of the most impressive riders of the Giro d’Italia 2014 edition, and while sitting third overall behind Cadel Evans (BMC) and Rigoberto Uran (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) the young Pole expects himself to become even stronger in coming two weeks.

The 24-year old Tinkoff-Saxo rider was expected to share the leadership role with Nicolas Roche during their Giro d’Italia campaign, but the Irish rider was one of many riders whose chances for a decent result in general classification were irrevocably wrecked in the mass-crash last Thursday.

Majka hasn’t shown splendid disposition before heading to the Italian grand tour, suffering from illnesses and knee injury sustained in the Paris-Nice crash, but usually very quiet and focused Tinkoff-Saxo rider is known for his maturity and thus it came as no surprise that he managed to fine-tune his condition just in time.

The last weekend’s first mountain stages of the Giro d’Italia brought some answers about the disposition of pre-race general classification contenders, after that group became slightly reduced in the dramatic finale at the bottom of Montacassino climb on Thursday.

Many of the race favorites, including Majka, were still suffering from consequences of the mass-crash while negotiating first real mountains on the route of the Italian grand tour, but it didn’t prevent the 24-year Pole from showing off his potential on the steepest slopes of Montecopiolo and Passo del Lupo climbs.

The Tinkoff-Saxo leader slightly faded in the finales of both stages, but uphill finished are not exactly the cup of tea of the young Pole and he insisted to become even stronger in the coming two weeks, after fully recovering from injuries sustained in the Thursday’s incident.

Even though it seems rather unlikely, he also pointed out that his short attack during the final ascent two days ago probably cost him an energy needed to stay with Uran and Evans in the sprint to the finish line.

“Maybe I used some energy there and for the final I lost five seconds on Evans and Uran,” said Majka, who – like so many in the Giro peloton, including Nairo Quintana (Movistar) – is still feeling the effects of his fall during the mass crash at Montecassino on stage 6.

“I feel a little bit the crash but I think I’ll be much stronger in the coming weeks.”

Despite Roche claiming to support Majka in his GC ambitions, probably still suffering from injuries, he wasn’t able to stay with the Pole in the decisive parts of both mountain stages and instead the late addition to tinkoff-Saxo roster, Michael Rogers, emerged as the last man to stand behind their leader.

“It was more or less to keep him out of trouble really because we knew it was quite steep and quite narrow,” Rogers told Cyclingnews at the finish. “I think it worked, it was quite a good thing to do and he saved a bit of energy there.”

The 34-year old Australian was full of praise for Majka, claiming that the podium result in this year’s Giro d’Italia edition is within his reach.

“I think he can be on the podium,” Rogers said of Majka’s goals, although he was cautious about the prospect of the Pole taking the maglia rosa in Trieste. “I think it’s too soon to say. The time trial’s probably not so suited to him but that last week certainly is.”

Rogers also explained, that just like most of the general classification contenders, the 24-year old Pole deliberately decided not to follow Domenico Pozzovivo (Ag2R La Mondiale) when the Italian climber took off on the steepest slopes of the Passo del Lupo and gained half of on maglia rosa group.

“We knew it was only four or five percent in the last four kilometres so one person on his own was either going to have to be super strong to ride away or he was going to have to use a lot of energy,” Rogers said. “Still, Pozzovivo rode well and he gained a little bit of time.”