The 101st edition of the Giro d’Italia kicks off in the most spectacular fashion when the riders this coming Saturday are sent off to do the 8,4 kilometer time trial in the streets of Amsterdam, Holland.

And everything is in place for an exciting tour around Italy if you enjoy watching mountainous terrain where epic struggles are decided on a daily basis. A set of six mountain stages with five uphill finishes will make the race a joy to watch. But the powerful and heavy engines of the peloton will be happy to know that the course holds four time trials, a prologue (8.4 kilometers), a team time trial (32.5 kilometers) on stage four and two individual time trials of 12.9 and 15.3 kilometers.

The ladder closes this year’s battle in Italy in the streets in and around Verona. But the 12.9 kilometer war against the clock is a treat for the light climbers as every inch of the time trial is uphill. Here is a chance to settle the overall classification.

Team Saxo Bank will be focusing on stage victories as a top priority giving the riders a freedom they would not have received if they had to protect a possible overall contender for overall classification of the race.

Team Saxo Bank’s line-up for Giro d’Italia:

Baden Cooke who was a part of the successful squad during the Belgian classics. Baden Cooke played an important role in the front of the field protecting his captain and setting the pace of the peloton. The Australian rider is a solid sprinter to be reckoned with in those hectic sprint show downs.

Anders Lund is the only repeat from last year’s line-up for the Giro. Anders Lund was also a part of the squad in the early classics where he put in a great effort taking the wind for his captain.

Nicki Sørensen has been showing good form in this year’s Ardennes Classics helping out the Schleck-brothers in the hilly terrain. No Team Saxo Bank fan will probably ever forget his astonishing stage win in last year’s Tour de France.

Lucas Sebastian Haedo is a sprinter for the future. He is slowly moving up the charts in the bunch sprints and in Tour de Romandie, he took up the challenge with the very best in the world and finished fourth.

Laurent Didier will be interesting to follow in the mountainous terrain. Like Lucas Sebastian Haedo, he is a man for the future but in a different terrain. In the Ardennes classics he was a strong helper for the Schleck brothers.

Michael Mørkøv is taking on his first Grand Tour. The Danish track specialist is now ready to focus on the road after a successful winter program on the track where he celebrated several victories with Alex Rasmussen.

Richie Porte sensationally won the Tour de Romandie time trial ahead of established names of Alejandro Valverde, Michael Rogers and Vladimir Karpets. It will be interesting to follow his development on the time trials and in the mountains in the Giro and in the future.

Gustav Larsson has always played a heroic role on the team as a tireless and loyal teammate. Throughout this spring season, he has put in a great effort helping Fabian Cancellara and Matti Breschel to their pursuit of success. Watch out for the big Swede on the time trials.

Chris Anker Sørensen was hoping to be the Team Saxo Bank-captain in the Giro but sadly, he crashed earlier this season and fractured his collarbone which crushed his dreams about a good overall result:

”It is not until a few days ago that I was actually able to stand up on the bike without pain and for several weeks after the crash I was forced to do my training on my stationary home trainer which does not offer the best preparation for a stage race like this. So I am spending the first week or two in Italy dusting off the shape. Of course, if I see the possibility for a stage win I will be out there fighting for it. I have been checking my watts and checking out my training buddies when we are riding fast and both indicate that the shape is not as far away as I feared. But I am going to take it day by day,” says Chris Anker Sørensen.

Participating Riders
Baden Cooke
Laurent Didier
Lucas Sebastian Haedo
Gustav Larsson
Anders Lund
Michael Mørkøv
Richie Porte
Nicki Sørensen
Chris Anker Sørensen