Australian cycling team Orica-Scott are keeping the pressure off Adam Yates at the Giro d'Italia, despite his strong form and Grand Tour pedigree.
Yates and sprinter Caleb Ewan will be Orica-Scott's weapons at the 100th Giro, which starts on Friday on the island of Sardinia.
Unlike July's Tour de France, where Richie Porte is now one of the main contenders, Australian interests in the Giro are more speculative.
It marks the start of Rohan Dennis' long-term aim at BMC to morph into a Grand Tour contender.
Ironman Adam Hansen (Lotto-Soudal) continues his record streak of consecutive Grand Tours, which stands at 16, while at the other end of the spectrum Alex Edmondson (Orica-Scott) will make his debut in the three-week stage races.
Nathan Haas (Dimension Data), Rory Sutherland (Movistar) and Michael Hepburn (Orica-Scott) are other confirmed Australian starters.
Earlier this year, Orica-Scott announced that Yates and his twin brother Simon would spearhead their Giro team.
But their Colombian star Esteban Chaves, second at the Giro last year, has struggled with a knee injury.
So last month, the team announced that Simon Yates would instead ride the Tour de France alongside Chaves.
Adam Yates starred at last year's Tour de France, finishing fourth overall and winning the best young rider category.
The 24-year-old has carried that form into this season, most recently finishing eighth at the Liege-Bastogne-Liege classic.
But the Giro field is stacked with general classification talent, including Nairo Quintana, Vincenzo Nibali, Geraint Thomas and Steven Kruijswijk.
Orica-Scott director Matt White is mindful that his rider is still learning.
"We certainly don't go in as the favourites for the general classification," White said.
"It's easier to list who's not at the Giro than who is, so it's an all-star cast."
"It will be Adam's first Giro d'Italia and it continues his learning process which means we can approach it in a different mindset.
"I think winning the white jersey and a top-10 finish are very achievable goals for him to have."
Having Ewan in the team also means that White will have to divide their resources behind the sprinter's ambitions to win stages and Yates' overall mission.
"It's a tricky mix, but we aren't the only people doing it and I am confident with the group we have we can chase both goals with success," White said.
"We will certainly have something to concentrate on every day."
Meanwhile, Giro organisers are under growing pressure to abandon a new competition that would recognise the best descender in the race.
"Giro has some of the worst descents in cycling. With the serious injuries and worse in some cases recently, how can they even consider this," former Australian pro cyclist Matt Goss tweeted.
The sport is mourning the deaths of former Giro winner Michele Scarponi and young American rider Chad Young in the past few days, while Wouter Weylandt died after crashing on a descent during the 2011 Giro.
Share
