The Blanco Pro Cycling Team travels to Naples this week with sky-high ambitions for the Giro d’Italia which begins Saturday from the Italian coastal city. Whereas Robert Gesink previously was focused on the Tour de France, the man from Varsseveld is now completely geared towards the Giro.

Via an altitude training camp in Tenerife and the Tour de Romandie, Gesink has prepared for the first Grand Tour of the year together his all-rounders Wilco Kelderman, Steven Kruijswijk, Stef Clement, Jack Bobridge and Juanma Garate.

Gesink finished the Tour de Romandie last week in 54th but remains unconcerned about that result, commenting: “I would have liked to have built up a bit more confidence in Romandie, but I know from myself that I will usually have a few dips in the week after hypoxic training – the real benefit hits me about a week after – so I am not at all concerned. As a team, we rode very well in Romandie and dotted the i’s. I am very satisfied with that. In the run-up to the Giro, I’ve done everything possible to perform well and I am confident that the goals we have formulated are attainable.”

The team goals include a top five place in the in the general classification and according to Team Director Jan Boven: “Perhaps even a spot up on the podium.” Boven, who will share duties in Italy with Michiel Elijzen, added: “We are heading to Naples with a positive feeling. The guys who did the altitude training have shown they are fit – just look at Stef Clement who rode three top-ten finishes in Romandie and Wilco Kelderman who took the white jersey and fifth in the GC.”

Aside from the six men who rode in Romandie, Jan Boven and Michiel Elijzen will have three fresh riders at their disposal in Italy who have appeared in the Classics: Paul Martens, Maarten Wynants and Maarten Tjallingii. Boven: “If it does not run contrary to what we want to accomplish in the classification, we may be able to do something with Paul in some of the more challenging sprint finales. We trained on the finales in Romandie and that went very well.”

In Kelderman, Gesink will have a very useful rouleur next to him. The young man from Amersfoort rode an excellent Tour de Romandie and is very much looking forward to his first Grand Tour. Kelderman said: “The training camp in Tenerife did me a lot of good. I lost a bit of weight but picked up some uphill strength. In Romandie, I was fit the entire week and could climb with the best of them. That gives me a lot of confidence headed into the Giro where I intend to work hard for Robert.”

Blanco line-up for the Giro d’Italia:

Robert Gesink, Steven Kruijswijk, Wilco Kelderman, Stef Clement, Jack Bobridge, Juanma Garate, Paul Martens, Maarten Tjallingii en Maarten Wynants