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Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) leads the ride on the climbs(Image credit: Bettini Photo) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) The Italian riders pre-selected for the Worlds(Image credit: Bettini Photo) Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) has already been named as the leader (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) and Damiano Caruso (katusha)(Image credit: Bettini Photo) Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) was in a good mood after his Giro d'Italia win(Image credit: Bettini Photo) The Italian team tuck into a pre-ride meal(Image credit: Bettini Photo) Valerio Agnoli, Fabio Aru, Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) and Damiano Caruso (Katusha) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) and Paolo Bettini (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Valerio Agnoli, Fabio Aru, Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) and Damiano Caruso (Katusha) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) The Italian team tuck into a pre-ride meal(Image credit: Bettini Photo) Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) poses with Paolo Bettini (Image credit: Bettini Photo) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) leads the ride with Bettini following(Image credit: Bettini Photo) Italian national road manager Paolo Bettini took his long list of riders out for a reconnaissance ride over sections of the Worlds course last week.
The Worlds take place in Florence later this year and Bettini has already confirmed that Giro d’Italia winner Vincenzo Nibali will lead the team.
"Nibali has completed a special chapter in his career and he can now go on to win the world title," Bettini told Gazzetta dello Sport last week.
Nibali and Bettini were joined by a number of the Italian riders who made the long list, including Filippo Pozzato, Fabio Aru and Valerio Agnoli.
A Italian rider has not won the Worlds road race since Alessandro Ballan claimed the title in 2008.
