Trek unveils Giro d'Italia roster headlined by Nizzolo and Mollema
Defending points champion confirmed for Giro
Trek-Segafredo took to Twitter to announce their line-up for the Giro d'Italia on Thursday, with Bauke Mollema set to lead the squad's GC campaign and Italian champion Giacomo Nizzolo confirmed to start as well after a long period of uncertainty due to knee tendonitis.
Mollema has been gearing up for a Giro campaign since last winter, with Trek signing Alberto Contador to contend for the yellow jersey at the Tour. It will be the Dutchman's second run at the Giro d'Italia. He first raced the Italian Grand Tour in 2010, placing 12th on GC, having since notched four top 10 finishes in the other two Grand Tours over the years.
Nizzolo got a very late start to his 2017 racing campaign thanks to a lingering knee injury that began bothering him late last year, but he finally got his campaign underway last week at the Tour of Croatia, notching a second-place finish on the third stage.
He has won the points classification for the last two years running, though he has yet to nab a stage victory in his home Grand Tour. Nizzolo was the first across the finish line in the final stage of the 2016 edition of the race, but was relegated for irregular sprinting, meaning that he'll still be hunting that maiden victory this time around.
Fast-finishing Classics specialist Jasper Stuyven will also make the start on May 5 in Sicily, giving Trek an alternative stage-hunting option, as will promising youngster Mads Pedersen, making his Grand Tour debut.
Trek-Segafredo for the Giro d'Italia: Jesús Hernandez, Giacomo Nizzolo, Julien Bernard, Bauke Mollema, Peter Stetina, Mads Pedersen, Jasper Stuyven, Laurent Didier, Eugenio Alafaci
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