Tirreno-Adriatico is not just about the big three – and the missing fourth – of course, and Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) will be among the riders to prove the the overall classification is far from a formality.

Rodriguez won the Volta a Catalunya last year against a similarly strong line-up – Contador, Quintana and Froome all having been left trailing in his wake.

Froome’s absence, meanwhile, is not the end of British interest either, with second-year pro Adam Yates (Orica-GreenEDGE) leading his team’s charge as he looks to replicate the form which, last year, earned him sixth place at last year’s Criterium du Dauphine as part of a stunning debut season.

Mark Cavendish (Etixx-QuickStep) will also fly the British flag, bidding to overcome an illness of his own as he continues to prepare for Milan-San Remo on March 22.

Cavendish wore the blue jersey and won a stage in this race last year and he and Etixx-QuickStep’s GC man Rigoberto Uran will hope to lead a double charge.

Tinkoff-Saxo will also fight on two fronts, with Peter Sagan looking for stage wins. However, Marcel Kittel (Giant-Alpecin) won’t be challenging Cavendish and Sagan, with injury forcing the German fast man out of the race.