Movistar enters this year's Milan-Sanremo on the hunt for its first top 10 performance in the race since 2007. With Jose Joaquin Rojas, Francisco Ventoso and Giovanni Visconti, they have the firepower to feature in any race scenario.

As a team mostly focused on stage races and the Ardennes classics, Movistar - and its predecessors - have mostly failed to produce any top result in the first monument of the year, Milan-Sanremo. Last year's 18th by Francisco Ventoso was just another missed attempt in the race known as La Primavera.

This year the team lines up at the start in Milan with the firm intention of turning around their fortunes. With a three-pronged attack they try to cover all bases in the Italian classic.

The team will look to Jose Joaquin Rojas and Francisco Ventoso if it comes down to a sprint on Lungomare Italo Calvino in Italy. Both Spaniards belong to the very best climbers among the sprinters, and the climbs themselves should pose few problems for the fast duo. What may be a challenge should be the distance, and Rojas still has to produce a top result in a classic.

With top 20 performances in 2011 and 2012 Ventoso had inched closer to his breakthrough in the race, and he is certainly going well right now. He performed well in the epic penultimate stage of Tirreno-Adriatico, and he was 5th yesterday in his final preparation race GP Nobili Rubinetterie where his team took plenty of responsibility to set up the Spanish champion for a result.

Giovanni Visconti will attempt to join any attacks on the final climb of Poggio, and with his fast finish he will be a danger man in any breakaway group. The former Italian champion has not shown glimpses of his best form so far this season, but he got in a solid block of training with his participation in the 16-man break in the penultimate stage of Tirreno-Adriatico, and he was 9th in yesterday's race. The form should be on the rise, and he will without any doubt aim to play a role in the biggest one-day race of his home race.

The three captains will be supported by Andrey Amador, Jonathan Castroviejo, Angel Madrazo, Pablo Lastras and Eloy Teruel. Amador and Castroviejo come off top 15 overall performances in Tirreno and could pose a threat in escapes towards the final. Lastras has delivered a number of strong performances in past editions of Sanremo, but the veteran Italian has yet to find his former strength this season.

You can follow Movistar's efforts live on CyclingQuotes.com/live on Sunday starting at 14.30. Until then you can prepare for the race by studying our preview.

Movistar for Milan-Sanremo

Jose Joaquin Rojas, Francisco Ventoso, Giovanni Visconti, Angel Madrazo, Pablo Lastras, Eloy Teruel, Andrey Amador and Jonathan Castroviejo