Astana arrive as defending champions for the Giro d’Italia, albeit without 2013 winner Vincenzo Nibali in their ranks.

The Kazakhstan-based team will instead be led by former winner Michele Scarponi, fourth in the two previous editions of the race.

However, the teams preparations for the race – for which they are targeting a second consecutive GrandTour victory – have been hampered by visa issues, which have resulted in Maxim Iglinskiy and Alexey Lutsenko missing out.

General manager Alexandr Vinokurov told the team website: “We are disappointed to leave two of Kazakhstan’s brightest cycling federation riders off the World Tour Giro roster.”

On the race, the Olympic champion added: “We come to the Giro start with Michele Scarponi to rally around as the race moves south through Dublin and back over to Italy for challenging days ahead at Sestolo, Monte Zoncolan and the wine country individual time trial into Barolo.”

Leader: Michele Scarponi

Winner in 2011 after Alberto Contador’s victory was annulled, Michele Scarponi joined Astana this season with big ambitions to win the Giro for a second time after two consecutive fourth place finishes. And Scarponi – who numbers three Giro stage wins on his palmares – has enjoyed a strong start to life with the Kazakh team, enjoying top ten finishes at the Ruta del Sol, Tirreno-Adriatico and the Giro del Trentino. His eighth place at the latter also him play an important role in Mikel Landa’s stage victory, and the 34-year-old is keen to show his best days are not all behind him.

Valerio Agnoli: Followed Nibali from Cannondale to Astana and was part of his Giro-winning team last year.
Fabio Aru: Wore the white jersey in the early parts of last year’s race before suppot duty for Vincenzo Nibali took over.
Janez Brajkovic: A late replacement due to the visa issues, Brajkovic was Astana’s best-placed rider at the 2012 Tour de France.
Enrico Gasparotto: Races on the back of a steady Ardennes Classics campaign, where he earned a top-ten spot at the Amstel Gold Race.
Borut Bozic: Another late call-up, Bozic had geared his early-season campaign around the Spring Classics, earning third at Dwaars Door Vlaanderen.
Mikel Landa: Signed from Euskaltel-Euskadi in the winter, the Spaniard could prove to be a contender for best young rider.
Paolo Tiralongo: Veteran Italian is a two-time former stage winner at the Giro d’Italia.
Andrey Zeits: Now the only Kazakh rider on the team, the 27-year-old rode for Nibali last year.