First men's Grand Tour of the season

Telefónica-backed squad at Abruzzo start with a top sprinter, Fernando Gaviria, in arguably their very first time in search for some of the most coveted bunch kick wins of the season.

GUIDE | All info on the 2023 Giro and the Movistar Team

In the day the first women’s Grand Tour of the season, La Vuelta, started, the Movistar Team announces the eight names that will make its roster for the first three-week men’s stagerace of the year, the Giro d’Italia, which starts Saturday 6th from the Costa dei Trabocchi (Chieti, Abruzzo).

For their 28th appearance in the ‘Corsa Rosa’, the Telefónica-backed squad brings a lineup spearheaded by Colombian sprinter Fernando Gaviria, leader of a squad which hopes to chase stage wins with its main sprinters. Joining the man from La Ceja will be another Colombian, climber Einer Rubio, as well as Max Kanter (GER), Albert Torres, José Joaquín Rojas, Óscar Rodríguez, Carlos Verona (ESP) and Will Barta (USA). Maximilian Sciandri, Pablo Lastras and Xabier Muriel will be the sports directors.

Three individual time trials -the opening one in Ortona; a long, 35km effort to Cesena (Sunday 14th); and the decisive, grueling mountain TT up the Monte Lussari (Saturday 27th)- are notably highlighted into a parcours also featuring brutal mountain stages, such as the finishes in Crans Montana (Friday 19th), the Monte Bondone (Tuesday 23rd), Val di Zoldo (Thursday 25th) or the 5,400m Queen stage to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Friday 26th). The race ends in Rome on Sunday 28th May.