The board is stacked with 207 rider with their sights set on dominating the 2011 Giro d’Italia. Here is how Bicycle.net see’s the players.

Favorites For The Pink Jersey:
Alberto Contador (ESP / Saxo Bank),
Vincenzo Nibali (ITA / Liquigas),
Michele Scarponi (ITA / Lampre),
Denis Menchov (RUS / Geox)
Roman Kreuziger (CZE / Astana),
Igor Anton (ESP / Euskaltel),
Joaquin Rodriguez (ESP / Katusha),
David Arroyo (ESP / Movistar),
Tiago Machado (POR / RadioShack)

The Sprinters:
Mark Cavendish (GBR / HTC),
Tyler Farrar (USA / Garmin),
Alessandro Petacchi (ITA / Lampre),
Fran Ventoso (ESP / Movistar),
Francesco Chicchi (ITA / Quick Step)
Mark Renshaw (AUS / HTC),
Graeme Brown (AUS / Rabobank),
Robbie McEwen (AUS / RadioShack),
Manuel Belletti (ITA / Colnago),
Sacha Modolo(ITA / Colnago),
Gerald Ciolek (GER / Quick Step),
Wouter Weylandt (BEL / Leopard)
Manuel Cardoso (POR / RadioShack)
Borut Bozic (SLO / Vacansoleil),
Danilo Napolitano (ITA / Acqua Sapone §)

The Stage Hunters:
Richie Porte (AUS / Saxo Bank),
David Millar (GBR / Garmin),
Thomas Lövkvist (SWE / Sky)
Frantisek Rabon (CZE / HTC),
Ignat Konovalovas (LTU / Movistar)
Sebastian Lang (GER / Omega Pharma),
Cameron Meyer (AUS / Garmin)

The Climbers:
Domenico Pozzovivo (ITA / Colnago),
Jose Serpa (COL / Androni),
Emanuele Sella (ITA / Androni),
Jose Rujano (VEN / Androni),
John Gadret (FRA/AG2R La Mondiale)
Robert Kiserlovski (CRO / Astana),
Matteo Carrara (ITA / Vacansoleil),
Christophe Le Mevel (FRA / Garmin),
Johann Tschopp (SUI / BBOX),
Brice Feillu (FRA / Leopard)

The Punchers:
Giovanni Visconti (ITA / Farnese Vini),
Stefano Garzelli (ITA / Acqua § Sapone),
Rinaldo Nocentini (ITA/AG2R La Mondiale),
Johnny Hoogerland (NED / Vacansoleil),
Fabio Duarte (COL / Geox),
Danilo Di Luca (ITA / Katusha)
Vasil Kiryienka (BLR / Movistar),
Jerome Pineau (FRA / Quick Step),
Fabian Wegmann (GER / Leopard)