Team Giant-Shimano will head into the Giro d'Italia with their eyes firmly focused on the sprint stages where Marcel Kittel and Luka Mezgec hope to make an impression while Simon Geschke, Tobias Ludvigsson and Georg Preidler will go on the attack on the hillier days. Ludvigsson, Mezgec and Kittel took the time to talk about their expectations for the three-week race.

The 97th Giro d'Italia gets underway this Friday with a 21.7km team time trial around Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The following 20 stages present plenty of opportunities for Team Giant-Shimano in both sprints and also the more opportunistic stages with a versatile team looking for both stage results and also for a step forward in their development as riders.

The full line-up for the 97th Giro d'Italia is: Bert de Backer (BEL), Simon Geschke (GER), Marcel Kittel (GER), Tobias Ludvigsson (SWE), Luka Mezgec (SLO), Georg Preidler (AUT), Tom Stamsnijder (NED), Albert Timmer (NED) and Tom Veelers (NED).

Marcel Kittel (GER)

"I think that the route this year is good for me as a sprinter given the different opportunities for bunch finishes so I am happy about that and am looking forward to getting going. I am confident about the early flat stages here in Ireland and want to get the race off to a good start for the team.

"I am confident about the line-up that we have here, especially for the sprints as there's good support for not just myself but for Luka also. Then there's also other guys who can do well on harder stages. I think if we don't come away with some good results it will not be because of a lack of strength in the team."

Tobias Ludvigsson (SWE)

"I love the Giro and it is made extra special by the passion that all the Italian fans have for this race. The first week I will take each day as it comes and help out the team where I can before seeing how my legs are feeling when the stages become a bit harder.

"I am keen to go well in the time trials and will go full gas for those two stages. My personal goal is to be on the podium on one stage, something I just missed out on last year, and to use the race to take another step forward in my development.

"Overall I think that we have a strong team here and can challenge on different stages, with a strong lead-out for Marcel and Luka, and a balanced team for the whole race."

Luka Mezgec (SLO)

"The Giro is a tough race but I like it and it has several opportunities for us as a team. The first goal is obviously going to be to go for a stage win with Marcel on the flat days in the first week. After this it becomes a bit harder and I personally hope that I can get some good results on the tougher sprint stages where some of the fast guys don't make it to the finish in the front group.

"I feel in better shape than I did here last year and feel that I'm not only sprinting better but I'm climbing better too, something which is a result of the hard work we put in over the winter.

"With some wins already this season I am mentally more confident, but this is a hard race and I'll take it like any other. It's going to be hard but I think that we have what it takes to get some strong results."

Coach Addy Engels (NED)

“The first goal for the Giro with Marcel in the team will obviously be for the sprints, and then for the stages that are slightly too hilly for him we can ride for Luka too.

“We have a strong line-up of riders who will be able to support this in terms of chasing down the breaks and also for the lead-outs.

“Then there’s a part of the team that will be looking for results on other stages and taking their chances when they can – guys like Tobias, Simon and Georg. Opportunities like these are great for learning and development, as being out front in the final stages of a Grand Tour stage is no easy feat.

“This worked well last year and Tobias very nearly pulled off a big result. We will take it day-by-day without an immediate focus on the overall GC.”