Przemyslaw Niemiec and Winner Anacona are expected to play key roles for Lampre-Merida at the Giro d'Italia and the duo will test their condition in the tradition warm-up race, the Giro del Trentino which starts on Sunday. With three mountain stages, the race offers both riders plenty of terrain to show their climbing skills.

With Chris Horner out of the race, Przemyslaw Niemiec, Damiano Cunego and Winner Anacona are set to play leading roles for Lampre-Merida at the Giro d'Italia. While Cunego will also play a key role in the Ardennes classics, Niemiec and Anacona will follow the traditional build-up when they line up at next week's Giro del Trentino.

As usual, the race will be suitable for climbers as the race contains no less than three summit finishes. Anacona and Niemiec will be joined by Valerio Conti, Luca Dodi, Elia Favilli, Xu Gang, Jose Serpa and Jan Polanc.

This is LAMPRE-MERIDA's selection: Anacona, Conti, Dodi, Favilli, Niemiec, Polanc, Serpa and Xu Gang.

Anacona and Niemiec will test their form in the three summit finishes (San Giacomo di Brentonico, 2nd stage; Roncone, 3rd stage; Monte Bondone 4th stage). Favilli, who had to face some unlucky incidents in the Belgian Classics, will try to be in the heat of the race. Conti will check his condition after his knee injury, while Polanc will maje his comeback after he wothdrew from the Volta a Catalunya because of a bruised hip.

Dodi and Xu Gang, who are both  good rouleurs, will be useful for the opening team time trial and they'll also support their teammates while Serpa - already with one 2014 win (Trofeo Laigueglia) - will try solo actions in the mountains.

After the end of Giro del Trentino, Niemiec will fly to Belgium to take part in Liege-Bastogne-Liege.