The first Grand Tour of the season, the Giro d’Italia is fast approaching and Team Giant-Alpecin can now reveal the long-list of 13 riders from which nine will be selected closer to the time. This year's Giro is very special as it starts in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, on 9th May with a 9.8km individual time trial, only a few steps away from the team's Service Course. This is followed by two more stages in Holland before the race moves back home to Italy.

The 2016 edition should present the team with opportunities for more than one rider to compete for a stage victory. Two riders who will definitely be on the start line this May are Tom Dumoulin (NED) and Nikias Arndt (GER). Dumoulin will be making his Giro debut next month, aiming for a stage victory in one of the time trials. For Arndt, there are many early chances to go for a stage win with the flat stages in the first week of racing. 

Coach for the Giro d’Italia, Marc Reef said: "It is the first Grand Tour of the season and our target is to go for a stage victory in the time trials with Dumoulin. Secondly, our focus will be on stage success in the sprint stages where in the first week there should be several opportunities for a bunch sprint. Finally, when the stages become more challenging, we will use an offensive strategy and give ourselves and our riders the best chance for a good result."

LONG-LIST
Nikias Arndt (GER)
Bert De Backer (BEL)
Tom Dumoulin (NED)
Caleb Fairly (USA)
Johannes Fröhlinger (GER)
Chad Haga (USA)
Cheng Ji (CHN)
Carter Jones (USA)
Tobias Ludvigsson (SWE)
Georg Preidler (AUT)
Tom Stamsnijder (NED)
Albert Timmer (NED)
Zico Waeytens (BEL)