The Classics have come to an end and the first Grand Tour of the year is just around the corner. The Giro d’Italia (6 May – 29 May) will start next week in Apeldoorn on Friday 6 May. Lotto Soudal has selected these nine riders: Lars Bak, Sean De Bie, André Greipel, Adam Hansen, Pim Ligthart, Maxime Monfort, Jürgen Roelandts, Jelle Vanendert and Tim Wellens.

For Sean De Bie (24) this will be his first Grand Tour, quite a difference compared to Adam Hansen (almost 35) for whom this Giro is the fourteenth consecutive Grand Tour and the eighth Giro ever. Also for Lars Bak (36) it’s going to be the eighth Giro. Jürgen Roelandts (30) has experience when it comes to riding Grand Tours, but it will be the first time that he rides the Giro. For Tim Wellens (almost 25), who has his birthday during the Giro just like Adam Hansen, this will be his second Giro participation. Pim Ligthart (27) and Jelle Vanendert (31) will take part in the Giro for the second time as well, while it will be the fourth Giro for André Greipel (33) and Maxime Monfort (33).

The team will go for stage wins in the sprints with Greipel while Monfort could go for the GC. Vanendert and Wellens will go for stage wins in the hard stages while Bak, Hansen, Ligthart, Roelandts and De Bie will take their chances in the intermediate stages.