Mikel Landa and Geraint Thomas will lead Team Sky in the 100th edition of the Giro d’Italia, which starts next week in Sardinia (5th May) and ends in Milan on Sunday 28th May.
Thomas and Landa will be joined by Philip Deignan, Kenny Elissonde, Michal Golas, Sebastian Henao, Vasil Kiryienka, Salvatore Puccio and Diego Rosa.
“The Giro is going to be a big challenge but I feel that I am in good form and it’s a challenge I am ready for”, said Mikel Landa. “As always, it is a race for the climbers and I think that will suit me. We have a strong team and I’m really looking forward to returning to the Giro with Team Sky”.
“My preparation has gone really well and I’m ready”, said Geraint Thomas. “I can’t wait to get there now. The Tour of the Alps was my last race before the Giro and so to win there was obviously a boost to my morale. I know it’s going to be a really strong field at the Giro and it will be a tough, unpredictable race but I’m looking forward to it.
Confirming the line-up, Dave Brailsford said: “The 100th edition of the Giro d’Italia is going to be a special race. We want to make sure we are a key player in it and that we go there and make our mark. We’ve placed a lot of importance on performing well at this race. We have prepared properly for it to give the riders the best chance of making an impact.
“Our focus for the race will be to compete on GC. In Mikel Landa and Geraint Thomas we’re coming into the race with two key riders who will be trying to achieve that.
“We’ve looked at the challenges this edition of the Giro presents and picked a team which we believe can fully support both of our leaders. The last week of this Giro will be particularly demanding and the severity of those stages will be determining factors, so making sure we have climbing support in the high mountains has been a key consideration.
“Both Mikel and Geraint are coming into the race in excellent form and it’s exciting that they will be leading Team Sky into the 100th Giro d’Italia. They are two different types of rider and we see this as creating a real opportunity for us.
“In Grand Tour terms the first serious tests come early on and so we will arrive in Sardinia focused and ready to race from Kilometre One.”
