A perennial contender at last year’s race, Elia Viviani was the next best placed sprinter in the points classification behind Mark Cavendish, finishing eighth, exactly 70 points behind the Manxman. The Cannondale man has continued to go from strength to strength since then however, and enters the Giro on the back of two stage wins and four further top-ten finishes at the Tour of Turkey. Only Cavendish bettered the Italian in Turkey.

Cannondale have named former champion Ivan Basso on the start list, but Viviani is set to be their main man in Ireland and Italy with the team set up to support his bid for stage victories. Team management have called the team an attacking one, and if they want to rack up stage wins it would appear Viviani is their best option. The team have already showed just how well they can control a peloton for Peter Sagan. Now his team-mate will be keen to show the Slovak star is the not the only Cannondale rider capable of winning a World Tour points jersey.