Omega Pharma-Quick Step has announced the selection that will participate in Milan-San Remo.

The race covers 298 km, which is the longest race on the calendar. Milan-San Remo covers a route that includes crucial climbs on the Cipressa and the Poggio near the end of the race. The Cipressa, which is 5.65 km in length and averages 4.1% with a max ramp of 9%, is at kilometre 275.9. The Poggio, at the 291.8 km mark, is a distance of 3.7 km, with an average gradient of 3.7% and a max ramp of 8 per cent. The peloton will then descend into a flat and hectic finish by the coast to decide matters.

"We have a good, strong team that can be competitive for each moment of the race," said sport director Davide Bramati, who will lead OPQS from the team car with Wilfried Peeters. "We have riders good for the sprint, and also to be present in the main actions, such as on the Cipressa and the Poggio, or even in a final if it does not come down to a bunch finish. The team is in good condition and really motivated for a good result after Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico. We are ready to do a good race and to be protagonists."

If he manages to be with the front group as it crests both the Cipressa and the Poggio, Mark Cavendish will surely carry the team’s expectations of a win in a sprint, but if the Briton is not present when things will be decided, the team can hinge their aspirations on strong, attack minded riders such as Sylvain Chavanel and Niki Terpstra and, of course, on Tom Boonen.

Omega Pharma-Quick Step for Milan-San Remo: Tom Boonen, Mark Cavendish, Sylvain Chavanel, Michal Kwiatkowski, Zdenek Stybar, Niki Terpstra, Stijn Vandenbergh, Martin Velits.