Last year Peter Sagan won the GP Camaiore but the Slovakian won't defend his title in Thursday's race. Instead, Cannondale will be lead by Damiano Caruso who will use the race as a final tune-up for Paris-Nice which starts on Sunday.

Cannondale Pro Cycling has selected an ambitious team to attend the Gran Premio di Camaiore, a 186 km Italian road race set to take place on March 6. The event’s unpredictable route demands a team with different riding styles to ensure multiple chances of reaching the finale. Last year, Peter Sagan won the Gran Premio di Camaiore in part to the great support of Moreno Moser.

Damiano Caruso, who returns to his home turf after racing the Tour de San Luis and Dubai Tour, will be one of the Green Machine’s key riders during this race. Caruso recently wrapped up the Italian national cycling team’s first training camp. Over the next few days, Caruso will be in Tuscany with his Cannondale Pro Cycling teammates for a short team camp to prep for the upcoming Paris-Nice.

“The Gran Premio di Camaiore is a relevant race for me. It is my last event before I head to Paris-Nice which is my first important event of my cycling season,” said Caruso.  “I had a good training period after two races, and I still need to be in the best condition possible in order to be as competitive as can be for my upcoming rides.

“The call inviting me to train with the Italian national team, only heightens my morale. It’s such a good feeling! I’m proud of this praise I’ve received, and I want to prove that I deserve more thanks to my bold performance throughout the rest of the season.”

Joining Caruso at the Gran Premio di Camaiore are three all-rounders, Alessandro De Marchi, Daniele Ratto, and Marco Marcato, who placed 8th at last week’s Trofo Laiguelia. Like Caruso, these three Italians have also been called to wear the Italian National jersey and attend the Tuscan training camp. The rest of the line-up includes Columbian rider José Sarmiento, Austrian Matthias Krizek, Davide Villella and Alberto Bettiol. The team will be led by team director Dario Mariuzzo.