Teams get ready for 2015 Giro d'Italia (photos)

22 teams, 198 riders officially presented to crowds ahead of the 2015 Giro d'Italia. Photos by Graham Watson

Richie Porte before the 2015 Tour of Italy

(Image credit: Watson)

The riders and teams taking part in the 2015 Giro d'Italia were officially presented to spectators on Friday afternoon in San Remo ahead of the race's opening stage on Saturday.

All 22 teams walked up the pink carpet and onto the stage in front of a sizeable audience of fans. It was a relatively informal affair, with the riders stopping off for photographs and to sign autographs for fans.

Pre-race favourites Richie Porte (Sky), Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo), Rigoberto Uran (Etixx-QuickStep) and home hero Fabio Aru (Astana) all received a lot of attention during the ceremony.

On Saturday, the teams will tackle a team time trial along the coast, starting in San Lorenzo al Mare and finishing 17.6km later in San Remo. Much of the route is run on a bike path, built on the route of an old railway. The narrow stretch of tarmac will present a unique challenge for the riders.

The race concludes in Milan on Sunday, May 31.

Team Sky before the 2015 Tour of Italy

Riders from Team Sky stop to sign autographs
(Image credit: Watson)

BMC before the 2015 Tour of Italy

BMC climb the steps outside the casino
(Image credit: Watson)

BMC before the 2015 Tour of Italy

Riders climb a pink, rather than red, carpet to celebrate the race's famous maglia rosa of race leader
(Image credit: Watson)

Tinkoff before the 2015 Tour of Italy

Alberto Contador's Tinkoff-Saxo squad will be looking to help their team leader to another Grand Tour victory
(Image credit: Watson)

Dave Brailsford before the 2015 Tour of Italy

Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford before the 2015 Tour of Italy
(Image credit: Watson)

Team Sky before the 2015 Tour of Italy

Team Sky
(Image credit: Watson)

Trek before the 2015 Tour of Italy

Trek Factory Racing
(Image credit: Watson)

Astana before the 2015 Tour of Italy

Astana
(Image credit: Watson)

Tinkoff before the 2015 Tour of Italy

Tinkoff-Saxo
(Image credit: Watson)

Ag2R before the 2015 Tour of Italy

Ag2r
(Image credit: Watson)

Cannondale-Garmin before the 2015 Tour of Italy

Cannondale-Garmin
(Image credit: Watson)

Orica-GreenEdge before the 2015 Tour of Italy

Orica-GreenEdge
(Image credit: Watson)

IAM at the 2015 Tour of Italy

IAM Cycling
(Image credit: Watson)

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Nigel Wynn
Former Associate Editor

Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.