Movistar confirm Quintana for Tirreno-Adriatico

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Movistar have confirmed that 2014 Giro d'Italia winner Nairo Quintana will lead its eight-rider team at Tirreno-Adriatico. Quintana hasn't raced since crashed out of the Colombian national championships in February having made his season debut at the Tour de San Luis in January, finishing third overall.

Last year Quintana was second overall at Tirreno behind Alberto Contador as he prepared for the Giro but this year the 25-year-old's focus is on overall success at the Tour de France. 

Supporting Quintana at the race is Italian time trial champion Adriano Malori and three time Italian road race champion Giovanni Visconti. Also selected for the third WorldTour race of the season is the Spanish trio of Javi Moreno, Francisco Ventoso and national champion Jesús Herrada. Costa Rican Andrey Amador completes the roster.

Movistar for Tirreno-Adriatico: Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas (Col), Andrey Amador Bikkazakova (Crc), Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas (Spa), Jesus Herrada Lopez (Spa), Adriano Malori (Ita), Javier Moreno Bazan (Spa), Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Spa) and Giovanni Visconti (Ita).

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BMC for Tirreno-Adriatico

BMC Racing Team have named its squad for Tirreno-Adriatico featuring four Italians. Greg Van Avermaet has been named and will subsequently miss his Disciplinary Commission appearance with the Belgian federation on March 13 to answer questions in relation to the investigation into Doctor Chris Mertens.

Brent Brookwalter and Damiano Caruso will be the team's general classification riders for the WorldTour race which now starts with an individual time trial in place of a team time trial due to bad weather on the Tuscan coast. Caruso, who joined BMC at the end of 2014, has finished 19th (2013) and 21st (2011) on the two occasions he has lined up for the Italian race. Brookwalter has only ridden Tirreno on one occasion, finishing 60th overall in 2010.

The seven stage race starts Wednesday with the 5.7km time trial in Lido di Camaiore and concludes with another test against the clock in San Benedetto del Tronto Sunday. Stage four and five are the most decisive for the overall contenders, particularly stage five with its summit finish in Monte Terminillo.

New Italian signing Alessandro De Marchi is likely to look for success via breakaways and will also be support for the team's overall aspirations.

BMC will start the race with the dual objective of delivering Van Avermaet to a debut win in Italy having come close at Strade Bianche where he was second behind Zdenek Stybar.

Italian's Daniel Oss and Manuel Quinziato, who both rode in BMC world championship team time trial victory, have also been named in the team with Marcus Burghardt and Danilo Wyss completing the line up.

Having started the season with a stage win and overall success at the Tour Down Under through Rohan Dennis, BMC have yet to add to its tally of victories in 2015.

BMC for Tirreno-Adriatico: Brent Bookwalter (USA), Marcus Burghardt (Ger), Damiano Caruso (Ita), Alessandro De Marchi (Ita), Daniel Oss (Ita), Manuel Quinziato (Ita), Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) and Danilo Wyss (Sui).