Lineup

Cobo, Intxausti, Capecchi, Dowsett, Lastras, Karpets, Ventoso, Visconti and José Herrada will fly the Blue flag in the 96th edition of the 'Corsa Rosa', which starts in Napoli on Saturday

DOWNLOAD | Pressbook Movistar Team – 2013 Giro d’Italia 

Eusebio Unzué has defined the nine-man roster Movistar Team will ride the 96th Giro d’Italia from Saturday. The telephone squad, led by sports directors José Luis Arrieta and Chente García Acosta, will form in Napoli with Spaniards José Herrada, Beñat Intxausti, Pablo Lastras, Fran Ventoso and 2011 Vuelta a España overall winner Juanjo Cobo, British ITT champion Alex Dowsett, Russia’s Vladimir Karpets and Italians Eros Capecchi and Giovanni Visconti. Enrique Sanz and Jesús Herrada will be the reserves for any last-minute changes.

Ten victories have been achieved by the Blues before the Italian grandtour, where they have notched up victories in their two participations with the Movistar jersey -Ventoso and Kiryienka in 2011; Amador and again Ventoso in 2012-. It will be the 18th appearance by Unzué’s squad in the Corsa Rosa, having obtained two overall triumphs (Indurain, ’92-’93), five podiums and ten stage wins. 

COMMENT / Eusebio Unzué: “The team’s goal is continuing the streak from the last two years, when we got more than one stage victory. Taking one this year would be really good and notching up two can only be considered as superb. I think we’re bringing a pretty solid squad, well balanced, with all riders coming in good form and having good chances. For the overall, I rely on Intxausti and Cobo fighting with the top guns and maybe making it into the top ten. It might be just about time for Beñat – I think he’s ready, he’s got the experience and maturity he needs. Last year, he already proved he’s able to get there. Cobo’s performance is always an unknown, but it’s important to know that he’s in good condition, so you can expect he might be able to give his best level, like in previous times. Then there are riders like Capecchi, José Herrada… who come in good form and will get on the move for sure. If you add the solidness and experience from Lastras and Karpets, the good condition by Dowsett or the talent by Ventoso and Visconti, we’re going with a strong block – just like I said before.

“We come to the start with ten victories and that makes you feel calm to do your work, but above all, really motivated to keep increasing that figure. The race route is not really different from last years’. The first half of the race is crucial on a mental side – you must not lose time on those mid-mountain stages. The second one has plenty of big climbs: Galibier, Lavaredo, Stelvio and the mountain TT might be crucial for the overall. My race favourite? Of course Wiggins. Also Nibali, with his good form and his knowledge of the race. But I saw Hesjedal building up and getting stronger in the last few days, and I consider him as much favourite as the other two.”