Team Sky confirms 2016 Giro d'Italia squad: Mikel Landa to lead
No British riders selected to take part in this year's Giro d'Italia as Mikel Landa leads Team Sky at the opening Grand Tour of 2016
Mikel Landa will lead Team Sky at this year's Giro d'Italia (May 6-29), as the team announced its line-up for the opening Grand Tour of 2016 that is noticeably devoid of British riders.
Landa took his first stage race victory since signing for Team Sky at the Giro del Trentino in April and heads up the British WorldTour team's nine-man squad.
>>> Giro d'Italia 2016: Latest news, reports and info
The 26-year-old Spaniard was third overall in the 2015 Giro, and will be backed by a strong selection of climbers and rouleurs to assist him during the race's key mountain stages.
Spaniards Mikel Nieve and David Lopez; Irishmen Nicolas Roche and Philip Deignan; American Ian Boswell; German Christian Knees; and Colombian Sebastian Henao will all support Landa.
Landa will face Italian Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), who goes into the race as the leading favourite for the overall victory. The start list is missing the last two overall winners: Alberto Contador (Tinkoff) and Nairo Quintana (Movistar), both of whom are focussing on the Tour de France. Nibali won the race in 2013.
>>> Mikel Landa takes bonus seconds to seal overall win at Giro del Trentino
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
A stage winner last year, Elia Viviani will be Sky's option for bunch sprints, although it is likely that he may only have a limited number of riders to assist him in a lead-out given the squad's GC focus.
Viviani faces strong opposition in the sprints, with Marcel Kittel (Etixx-QuickStep), André Greipel (Lotto-Soudal), Caleb Ewan (Orica-GreenEdge), Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek-Segafredo) and Milan-San Remo winner Arnaud Demare (FDJ) all present.
Sergio Henao had originally been on Sky's short-list for the Giro d'Italia, but is currently withdrawn from racing by the team as his biological passport figures are being investigated.
With the absence of Movistar's Alex Dowsett due to collarbone surgery, the Giro will not feature any British riders for the second year running.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
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.
-
'All he had to do was say sorry' - Cyclist wins court case and £4k after being hit by driver
Harry Gray plans to spend his compensation on 'the trip of a lifetime'
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Mathieu van der Poel to race 11 cyclocross races this season, from the Zonohoven World Cup to the World Championships
Dutchman to defend his world title in northern France at beginning of February
By Adam Becket Published
-
Tom Pidcock signs for Q36.5 Pro Cycling after Ineos Grenadiers departure
Olympic MTB champion hails 'start of something special' in three-year deal
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Steve Cummings takes sports director role at Jayco AIUla after Ineos Grenadiers departure
'It’s an opportunity to be part of a culture that celebrates growth, resilience, and meaningful results' says 43-year-old after joining new team
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'With a few changes, it'll be class' - Josh Tarling optimistic about Ineos Grenadiers future
'Everybody wants to get better and get back to winning,' 20-year-old tells audience at Rouleur Live
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'We've had a difficult year, I've had a difficult year' - Tom Pidcock hints at Ineos Grenadiers tension
Speaking at Rouleur Live, the 25-year-old also revealed that he hasn't enjoyed racing at the last two Tours de France
By Adam Becket Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers to partner with German development team for 2025
Ineos set to partner with German Continental squad Lotto Kern-Haus PSD Bank as an official development partner
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Where next for Ineos Grenadiers, now Steve Cummings has officially left?
After the Director of Racing's exit, the Tom Pidcock saga needs a final resolution before the team can move forward
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Ineos' Director of Racing, Steve Cummings, confirms he is leaving the team after not attending a race since June
Announcement comes after months of uncertainty surrounding Cummings' position
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I never thought I'd really leave the team': Luke Rowe opens up on his reasons for departing Ineos Grenadiers
Welsh road captain is heading to Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale to become a sports director
By Adam Becket Published