As usual, Team Giant-Shimano will start the first European WorldTour race of the season, Paris-Nice, with a focus on the sprint stages. John Degenkolb will look to continue his excellent start to the season while Warren Barguil, Tobias Ludvigsson, Simon Geschke, and Tom Dumoulin spearhead the team in Italy in Strade Bianche and Roma Maxima.

The first few stages will be opportunities for the sprinters to test their legs, and with John Degenkolb and Reinardt Janse van Rensburg in the Team Giant-Shimano line-up there's a strong reason to ride for a sprint. The route become more testing as the week goes on and the final two stages on Saturday and Sunday will be the final test in the hills just north of Nice before the overall winner is crowned.

"The main focus early on will be the first three stages and sprinting with John, especially after the good form he showed in February," said coach Christian Guiberteau.  "For the more difficult stages we will look to go out on the attack and try and get in the breakaway. There are lots of opportunities over the eight days so it should be a good race."

Dries Devenyns and and Van Rensburg are expected to shine in the hillier terrain.

In the weekend, the team will also participate in the two Italian one-day races Strade Bianche and Roma Maxima.

The Team Giant-Shimano line-up for this one-day race is a young but powerful one and with Warren Barguil who showed good form in France at the weekend as well as Tom Dumoulin and Tobias Ludvigsson who have had strong performances so far, so  the team has several cards to play.

Coach, Aike Visbeek said:

"Some of our riders are coming out of a training period and it is a young selection too so we will see what the guys can come up with out on the road.

"We will make a plan around Warren, Tobias and Tom D, who have all shown already this season that they have had a good winter period preparing for this year and are already getting results. Anything can happen in this race though so we will keep our options open."

Simon Geschke returns here after finishing eighth last year and will be looking to improve on that result at the end of 195km of up and down parcours.

"We will head into Sunday looking to support Simon after he showed that he can finish well here last year," said coach Aike Visbeek. "It will also depends on how Saturday's race pans out and how everyone recovers from that.

"We have Johannes Fröhlinger here as road captain to help guide the younger riders, and an attacking line-up around him. Everyone's form is building nicely so it should be an exciting race."

Giant-Shimano for Paris-Nice:

John Degenkolb, Bert De Backer, Albert Timmer, Reinardt Janse van Rensburg, Ramon Sinkeldam, Thierry Hupond, Dries Devenyns, and Koen De Kort

Giant-Shimano for Strade Bianche:

Warren Barguil, Tom Dumoulin, Tobias Ludvigsson, Georg Preidler, Tom Peterson, Simon Geschke, Johannes Fröhlinger, and Tom Stamsnijder

Giant-Shimano for Roma Maxima:

Warren Barguil, Tom Dumoulin, Tobias Ludvigsson, Georg Preidler, Thomas Damuseau, Simon Geschke, Johannes Fröhlinger, and Tom Stamsnijder