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Barguil to make season debut at Volta Ciclista a Catalunya

By Cycling News

published 15 March 2016

First race of the season for Frenchman after training ride accident

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Warren Barguil (Giant-Alpecin)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Tom Dumoulin rides near the front during stage 6 at Paris-Nice.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Laurens ten Dam (Giant-Alpecin)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Nikias Arndt (Giant-Alpecin) gets the kisses for his win(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)

Simon Geschke (Giant Alpecin)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Warren Barguil has been confirmed for Giant-Alpecin's team for the WorldTour Volta Ciclista a Catalunya race later this month. The Frenchman was one of six Giant-Alpecin riders hit head on by a car while on a training ride in Spain, suffering a broken scaphoid.

Barguil: We all could have died in Giant-Alpecin training crash

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Dumoulin just shy of Paris-Nice prologue win

Degenkolb could return to racing in May

Milan-San Remo provisional start list

"Warren had a good recovery period and he will carefully continue to build up his fitness level. For the sprint stages, we will try and set up Nikias in a good position to challenge for a stage result," coach Morten Bennekou said of the 24-year-old was 17th at the race in 2015 and ninth in 2014.

Tom Dumoulin will lead the team's GC aspirations having placed 12th overall at Paris-Nice and fourth at the Tour of Oman before that.

"We saw at Paris-Nice that Tom is heading into the right direction and he is showing a good level at the moment. If there is an opportunity in the general classification we will go for it, but without any immediate pressure," Bennekou added.

Laurens ten Dam makes his second appearance in Giant-Alpecin colours and will support Dumoulin and Barguil in the mountains. Neo-pro Sindre Skjøstad Lunke will also be called upon for support once the roads go upwards on his WorldTour debut. Nikias Arndt and Zico Waeytens offer the team two options for the sprint stages across the week of racing.

The challenging race is expected to feature the likes of Chris Froome (Team Sky), Alberto Contador (Tinkoff), Fabio Aru (Astana), Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and defending champion Richie Porte (BMC) with stage 3 to La Molina and stage 4 to Ainé, likely to decide the GC.

Giant-Alpecin for Volta Ciclista a Catalunya: Nikias Arndt (GER), Warren Barguil (FRA), Laurens ten Dam (NED), Tom Dumoulin (NED), Johannes Fröhlinger (GER), Tobias Ludvigsson (SWE), Sindre Skjøstad Lunke (NOR) and Georg Preidler (AUT).