The 48th edition of the Corsa dei Due Mari (The race of the two seas), organized by RCS Sport and La Gazzetta dello Sport starting on March 6 in San Vincenzo, will see the elite of the cycling world take to the start.

Among the contestants fighting for the overall win will be last year’s winner Vincenzo Nibali of Pro Team Astana. He will face the Spanish rider Alberto Contador (Team Saxo-Tinkoff) and his compatriots, the world number one, Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) and former Olympic Champion Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel Euskadi). British rider Chris Froome (Sky Procycling) and the Belgian Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team) will also be pushing for victory.

The calibre of riders hunting for stage victories is also incredibly high, with a mix of time trial specialists and finisseurs. Thor Hushovd (BMC Racing Team), Taylor Phinney (BMC Racing Team), Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quickstep), Peter Sagan (Cannondale Pro Cycling), Moreno Moser (Cannondale Pro Cycling), Filippo Pozzato (Lampre-Merida), Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Merida), Fabian Cancellara (Radioshack-Leopard-Trek), Giovanni Visconti (Movistar) and Oscar Gatto (Fantini Vini-Selle Italia) form an elite group on the hunt for stage victories.

Their aspirations may be hampered, though, as the world’s best sprinters will also be fighting it out for honour on the roads with Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quickstep), Andre Greipel (Lotto Belisol), Tyler Farrar (Garmin-SHARP) and Matt Goss (Orica-GreenEDGE) also participating.

The 22 teams starting the 48th Tirreno – Adriatico are:

AG2R LA MONDIALE (FRA)
PRO TEAM ASTANA (KAZ)
BLANCO PRO CYCLING TEAM (NED)
BMC RACING TEAM (USA)
CANNONDALE PRO CYCLING (ITA)
EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI (ESP)
FDJ - BIG MAT (FRA)
GARMIN - SHARP (USA)
KATUSHA (RUS)
LAMPRE - MERIDA (ITA)
LOT BELISOL (BEL)
MOVISTAR TEAM (ESP)
MTN - QHUBEKA (RSA)
OMEGA PHARMA - QUICKSTEP (BEL)
ORICA - GREENEDGE (AUS)
RADIOSHACK - NISSAN (LUX)
SKY PROCYCLING (GBR)
TEAM ARGOS - SHIMANO (NED)
TEAM NETAPP - ENDURA (GER)
TEAM SAXO – TINKOFF (DEN)
VACANSOLEIL - DCM PRO CYCLING TEAM (NED)
FANTINI VINI - SELLE ITALIA (ITA)