The course near the Mediterranean coast is flat and fast, and will pass through the Bolgheri vineyards.
Defending champion of the 'Race of the Two Seas', Vincenzo Nibali has earned his new Astana outfit the last slot down the start ramp at 15:48 local time, however there will plenty of teams setting markers for just over an hour beforehand.
The first team in action will be Lotto Belisol which heads into the event not only carrying the general classification hopes of Jelle Vanendert, but also individual stage ambitions for Andre Greipel. Next, will be Orica GreenEdge, who took out the stage in 2012, putting a considerable dint in the early marker set by Garmin - Barracuda. They would eventually finish in third with RadioShack in second place.
BMC, the 17th team down the start ramp, will be among the favourites for the stage, with the inclusion of World Championship silver medallist Taylor Phinney.
Favouritism however, falls on the shoulders of reigning World Champions in the discipline, Omega Pharma - Quick-Step with individual world champion Tony Martin, Michal Kwiatkowski and Niki Terpstra all strong against the clock.
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