Bradley Wiggins will prepare for his assault on the Paris-Roubaix when he lines up on the gravel roads of Strade Bianche this weekend. Richie Porte will lead a very strong Sky roster as he aims to defend his Paris-Nice title.

Sir Bradley Wiggins will make his first-ever appearance at Strade Bianche on Saturday as Team Sky send a strong squad to the famous Italian race. The 2012 Tour de France winner will hit the gravel roads alongside home-based favourites Dario Cataldo and Salvatore Puccio, while Ian Boswell and Nathan Earle ride on Italian soil for the first time since turning professional.

The eight-man selection is rounded off by Omloop Het Nieuwsblad winner Ian Stannard and fellow one-day specialists Bernhard Eisel and Luke Rowe.

Five of the Strade Bianche squad will also line up at Roma Maxima on Sunday, with Josh Edmondson, Chris Sutton and Ben Swift coming in as replacements for Eisel, Stannard and Wiggins. The team will be aiming to impress in the Italian capital having missed the inaugural event last year and with Swift on hand the team will have a good card to play in case of a sprint finish from a reduced peloton.

On the same day as that squad do battle, Richie Porte will begin the defence of his Paris-Nice title and he heads an equally-formidable eight-man unit in France. Xabier Zandio, Christian Knees and Gabriel Rasch are charged with keeping the Australian well protected during the flatter sections of the race, while David Lopez, Geraint Thomas and Vasil Kiryienka will provide considerable firepower on the climbs. Edvald Boasson Hagen’s all-round capabilities make him another valued addition to the roster and the Norwegian will be looking to come to the fore in the sprints.

The team will also line up in tomorrow's GP Camaiore where Swift, Earle, Puccio and Sebastian Henao will try to play their cards.

Team Sky for GP Camaiore

Ian Boswell, Nathan Earle, Josh Edmondson, Bernhard Eisel, Sebastian Henao, Salvatore Puccio, Luke Rowe, and Ben Swift

Team Sky for Strade Bianche

Bradley Wiggins, Nathan Earle, Ian Boswell, Dario Cataldo, Salvatore Puccio, Ian Stannard, Luke Rowe, and Bernhard Eisel

Team Sky for Roma Maxima

Ben Swift, Nathan Earle, Ian Boswell, Dario Cataldo, Salvatore Puccio, Josh Edmondson, Luke Rowe, and Chris Sutton

Team Sky for Paris-Nice

Richie Porte, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Vasil Kiriyenka, David Lopez, Geraint Thomas, Xabier Zandio, Gabriel Rasch, and Christian Knees