Dave Brailsford has confirmed that Richie Porte will sleep in a large American-style motorhome during the Giro d'Italia instead of the usual team hotel with his teammates.

Team Sky has hired the large motorhome for the duration of the race and it was parked outside the team hotel in Moresco during the opening stages of the Giro d'Italia. 

"Even though we have our own mattresses and pillow, when you change hotel every night, you have unpack and pack everyday, you go into a hotel without knowing what it's like," Brailsford explained to Cyclingnews and Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I've been thinking about if you didn't have to do all of that and if you have your own environment and privacy, and if you have your own bed. It seemed there was a logic to try to see if works. We have nine riders and so Richie would sleep on his own anyway but the riders will all eat together. You never know till you try. Some things support the idea and others don't. What about noise and security for example? But when you balance it up, we decided to give it a go. I'll tell you in three weeks if it's a marginal gain."

Should the motorhome prove effective for Porte at the Giro, then Sky will also use it at the Tour de France, with Chris Froome the likely rider to be designated to sleep in it.