Philip Deignan has been confirmed in a nine-man Team Sky squad for the 100th edition of the Giro d’Italia, which starts next Friday.
The 33-year-old Letterkenny man has been named alongside Mikel Landa, Geraint Thomas Kenny Elissonde, Michal Golas, Sebastian Henao, Vasil Kiryienka, Salvatore Puccio and Diego Rosa.
The Giro starts in Sardinia on 5th May and ends in Milan on Sunday 28th May.
Confirming the line-up, Team Principal Sir Dave Brailsford said: “The 100th edition of the Giro d’Italia is going to be a special race.
“We want to make sure we are a key player in it and that we go there and make our mark. We’ve placed a lot of importance on performing well at this race.
“We have prepared properly for it to give the riders the best chance of making an impact.
“We’ve looked at the challenges this edition of the Giro presents and picked a team which we believe can fully support both of our leaders.
“The last week of this Giro will be particularly demanding and the severity of those stages will be determining factors, so making sure we have climbing support in the high mountains has been a key consideration.”