Cannondale Pro Cycling will attend the opening stage of the Tour de Suisse (8,1 km ITT, scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, June 8) with a high-potential team. Peter Sagan, Moreno Moser and Damiano Caruso, three of the most important riders of the team, will face the nine stages of the race with the support of five reliable domestiques: Stefano Agostini, Lucas Haedo, Ted King, Michel Koch and Paolo Longo Borghini. Directeurs Sportif Mario Scirea and Dario Mariuzzo will lead the team.

Sagan, Moser and Caruso will arrive in Switzerland from three different build ups and with different expectations. For Sagan and Moser the race will be an essential step looking ahead to the Tour de France. The Slovak champion has in his legs the eight stages of the Tour of California and 15 days of mountain training at Passo San Pellegrino, while the Italian had a period of rest and a training session at home (his last race was in Frankfurt on May 1st, where he placed second). On the other hand, for Caruso the Tour de Suisse arrives after the Giro d'Italia, where his form was on the rise. After this race the Sicilian will attend the Italian championship, followed by a rest period to prepare for the second part of the season.

"I really don't know if I'll be able to be immediately competitive," affirmed Sagan, who won four stages in the 2012 edition. "I worked hard in the mountains to prepare for the Tour de France and it's not easy to find the right condition right away. My first goal will be to find the racing legs and put myself to the test in the stages suited for my characteristics. I think this is the best way to prepare for the main event of my season."

"The first stage intrigues me a lot," explained Moser, who placed third in a similar ITT last year. "I would like to race the other stages day by day without the nag of getting a result. My preparation was planned to be at top form at the Tour de France. My last race was one month ago so I have to be patient. I want to compete and I won't spare my energies, at the same time I don't want to create expectations. My goal is to improve my condition and to finish the race with a better form. Any results I achieve will be welcome."

"I would like to continue the positive trend of the Giro," said Caruso. "I got better every day, the level of my condition is good and makes me confident for a good performance. During these days I worked to recover and to maintain my form. I feel good: I race the Tour de Suisse looking forward for a good result in the GC and for a stage win in the mountains."