Team Sky have chosen their nine-man team for the Giro d’Italia next month, which will be the squad’s debut performance in a Grand Tour. The team’s overall hopes will be in the form on Briton Bradley Wiggins, who team principal David Brailsford says won’t be heading to the start in Amsterdam to accumulate training miles.
“You can’t go to a race like the Giro and not take it seriously,” said Brailsford on the team’s website. “You go to the Giro to race the Giro and that’s what Bradley will do.”
This year’s Giro d’Italia will see the riders face 21-stages over 3,418 kilometers, and includes the legendary climbs of Monte Zoncolan, Plan de Corones, which this year will feature a time trial, and the Gavia Pass. Wiggins will be a favorite to take the first maglia rosa in the opening prologue.
Michael Barry is confident in the team’s chances in the Italian Tour adding, “The team looks really good. I know Bradley’s fitness is great right now and he’s motivated to do some nice rides, especially in the first part of the race.
“We have some quick sprinters and also riders who can climb really well so I’m sure the victories will come.”
This year’s Giro d’Italia will be missing last year’s sprint king Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia), so the team will look to Kiwi Greg Henderson for success in the flat stages.
Wiggins, Barry and Henderson will be joined by Dario Cioni Steve Cummings, Chris Froome, Mathew Hayman, Morris Possoni and Chris Sutton.