This coming Saturday, Turin in Italy will host the start of another grand tour: the Giro d'Italia 2024, featuring 22 teams, 176 riders, about 50 team directors, and many stakeholders – all with some serious ambitions. In this article, IDLProCycling.com breaks down the stated ambitions and roles for each team and rider, based on press releases provided by the teams. From Wednesday through Friday, additional information will be provided based on the press conferences and interviews by our correspondent on site in Turin, so stay tuned!

Goals, ambitions and tasks for all teams in Giro d'Italia 2024 

INEOS Grenadiers: Geraint Thomas, Thymen Arensman and Filippo Ganna

Primoz Roglic will not defend his title in the Tour of Italy, making Geraint Thomas the highest-ranked rider from last season to show up at the start. The Welshman lost the 2023 Giro to the Slovenian of (then) Jumbo-Visma on the penultimate day – and is seeking revenge in the upcoming edition. "With Geraint, we have one of the most experienced riders in our selection, who has already proven he is a winner and a leader," said sporting director Steve Cummings in the team's press release.

"We’ve selected a strong, versatile line-up around him, which will enable us to race the way we love," added the Brit. "It will be three long weeks of full throttle, hard racing and we know where we need to put the pressure on, and where we will be able to fight for opportunities with a well-balanced group." Each selected rider has been assigned a role. Thymen Arensman is expected to play a supporting role in aiding Thomas in the mountains, just as he did last year when the Dutchman himself finished sixth after a strong final week, which is indeed his trademark.

Family members Ben and Connor Swift will serve as domestiques, while Filippo Ganna is eager to add a few more victories to his six stage wins in the Giro. Tobias Foss and Magnus Sheffield are noted as ideal support men, with the latter gaining experience under Thomas’ guidance in his first grand tour. Jhonatan Narváez, a versatile all-rounder, completes the selection.

Alpecin-Deceuninck: Kaden Groves and Quinten Hermans

Alpecin-Deceuninck is a team that always opts for a clear strategy, and this Giro is no exception. "Kaden Groves is our outspoken leader, especially for the sprint stages," the Belgian squad stated when announcing their Giro team. Among others, grand tour debutants Timo Kielich and Fabio Vandebossche will support last year's winner of the Vuelta points jersey.

The objectives are also clear: "We start our tenth consecutive grand tour. The previous nine we won at least one stage each time and that will also be the goal for the next three weeks," said the team. Groves has had a challenging spring due to a knee injury, but he has been able to prepare well for the Giro in the past weeks.

In the hillier stages, the team will look for opportunities with some stage hunters. "With Quinten Hermans among others, we have quality to stand our ground in other stages as well." There are no real climbers in the selection, but Nicola Conci, Jimmy Janssens and Tobias Bayer might try to pull something off in a mountain stage.

Arkéa - B&B Hotels: David Dekker, Jenthe Biermans and Ewen Costiou

At Arkéa - B&B Hotels, the ambitions and roles of their riders are typically communicated in a very transparent way, and this Giro d'Italia is no exception. Team directors Mickäel Leveau and Laurent Pichon, general manager Emmanuel Hubert and sports manager Didier Rous reviewed their riders one by one, assigning a prominent role to the Dutchman David Dekker.

"David is our sprinter, and after his second place in 2023, our goal this year is to win a stage," explains Leveau. "Jenthe Biermans will support him as the road captain, but he will also get his chance if there's a sprint in a smaller group. Donovan Grondin and Alan Riou will also be part of our sprinters' block."

For the mountain stages, the team relies on four other riders, with Ewen Costiou particularly standing out as a man for a possible stage win. "This will be his first grand tour, where learning is the primary goal. This Giro offers great opportunities for attackers, so we might expect a surprise. Michel Ries will support him and Louis Barré as road captain in their first grand tour, while Alessandro Verre is also allowed to showcase himself in an offensive capacity," states Pichon. Hubert and Rous add that with this young selection, they want to approach every Giro stage as a classic, hoping for stage success.

Astana Qazaqstan: Alexey Lutsenko, Lorenzo Fortunato and Max Kanter

When it comes to communicating information, the Astana Qazaqstan Team often leaves much to be desired. Unlike most teams, they don't hold a press event before the Giro, and the press release of the Kazakhstan-centric team was not very helpful either. It simply listed the riders in their selection — Alexey Lutsenko, Simone Velasco, Henok Mulubrhan, Christian Scaroni, Lorenzo Fortunato, Vadim Pronskiy, Max Kanter and Davide Ballerini — and that's it.

Some interpretation suggests that Kanter and Ballerini will compete in the sprints, while the other six riders can try their luck in the tougher stages. Perhaps Lutsenko and Fortunato might even position themselves for a place in the overall classification.

BORA-hansgrohe: Daniel Felipe Martinez and Danny van Poppel

The selections for grand tours are often set well in advance, but at BORA-hansgrohe there were still some last-minute changes for this Giro: after the severe crash of intended team leader Lennard Kämna in Tenerife, potential co-leader Emanuel Buchmann was also disappointingly sidelined, while lead-out man Danny van Poppel had to manage without his sprinter Sam Welsford, after a poor performance in the Tour of Turkey.

As a result, Van Poppel, along with Daniel Felipe Martinez, is now the team leader, according to team director Enrico Gasparotto. "We are counting on them, but we also have many versatile stage hunters as a backup. It's not unrealistic that the race will be open for breakaways in the second and third weeks. But these stages are mountainous and that's why we're relying on our strong climbers," Gasparotto mentioned, referring to, among others, Tour of Romandie sensation Florian Lipowitz.

The Italian is clear about the other objectives. "We want to achieve a top five in the GC with Dani. He had a solid build-up to the Giro and was able to train very well in Colombia, so we are optimistic about his chances." In the flatter stages, of which there are eight according to the Germans, it is Van Poppel who needs to deliver results. "We see many opportunities, but they are not always easy. However, the small climbs in the finale are precisely Danny's strength. He's in good shape and with Ryan as a lead-out, we're in a very good position for these stages," concluded Gasparotto.

Cofidis: Stanislaw Aniolkowski, Stefano Oldani and Simon Geschke

Cofidis is the only WorldTour team still looking for a victory in 2024. The French squad is therefore starting with a selection that primarily aims for stage wins. "That's what the team is built for. In the sprints, we're counting on Stanislaw Aniolkowski, while Stefano Oldani, as a former stage winner, can try his luck in breakaways. Ruben Fernandez, Benjamin Thomas and Thomas Champion also want to showcase themselves in this way. Simon Geschke could perform well in the general classification, while Harrison Wood and Nicolas Debeaumarché are making their grand tour debuts," Cofidis states in their press release.

Sports director Roberto Damiani provided more details. "Our main goal is to achieve a stage win. It's possible that after two stages, we'll already have a clear idea about the general classification, which could actually improve our chances. From our side, we must consider each stage as a classic," Damiani says, sharpening his team's focus.

"We're relying on Thomas for the two time trials and on Aniolkowski and Oldani in the sprints, but we must also be opportunistic," he continues. "Last year we saw that the peloton often allowed breakaways to go all the way to the end, so we must aim for that again. I have confidence in our team's ability to secure a stage win."

Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale: Ben O'Connor, Aurélien Paret-Peintre and Andrea Vendrame

Where Cofidis has yet to secure a victory, the tally at Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team is already at twelve. The French team heads to Turin with considerable confidence. "We're focused on the overall classification with Ben O'Connor. Aurélien Paret-Peintre, with his qualities and current form, will be there to support Ben as well as possible," explains team director Stéphane Goubert.

"Additionally, we have a group of climbers, including Alex Baudin and Valentin Paret-Peintre, who should be there to accompany our leader Ben in the high mountains," the Frenchman continues. "We can also count on Andrea Vendrame, whose knowledge of the course is an asset, as are his sprinting skills. Larry Warbasse is our road captain."

"In the less difficult stages, Damien Touzé will be deployed to support Ben as effectively as possible. Bastien Tronchon is returning after being ill, but he's a versatile lad who can prove very strong on hilly terrain," states Goubert. "Since the start of the season, the team has been strong collectively, so we would like to continue this trend in the Giro."

EF Education-EasyPost: Simon Carr and Esteban Chaves

As the last team to announce their goals and selection, EF Education-EasyPost made headlines for not selecting their intended leader, Hugh Carthy. This was intentional: like many other teams, the squad managed by Jonathan Vaughters is mainly targeting stage wins during the three-week tour of Italy. "

"This race suits us really well with the team we will have," says Esteban Chaves. "It is going to be a beautiful, hard race and we will have a lot of opportunities to go for stages. The Giro is rarely well-controlled, which sometimes leads to chaos." The Colombian received support from Italian Andrea Piccolo and Jan Ullrich’s nephew, Georg Steinhauser, who are also heading to Turin with the goal of making their mark in multiple stages.

The other five riders were also introduced by the team. "Simon Carr is coming off a huge win at the Tour of the Alps and is ready to climb with the best. Alexander Cepeda finished third in a stage in the Giro last year and wants to do better. Stefan de Bod is looking forward to the time trials, going for breakaways, but he can also support the team. Mikkel Honoré (resident in Italy, ed.) excels on tough, hilly days, while Michael Valgren is eager to show that he is still a champion."

Groupama-FDJ: Laurence Pithie

Groupama-FDJ traditionally had Thibaut Pinot as their leader for the Giro for many years, but after the retirement of their favorite, they shifted their focus. Hence, they have chosen Laurence Pithie as the sprint leader for the Italian tour, supported by a contingent of young riders. For the New Zealander, this will be his first grand tour.

We previously spoke with Pithie himself about his goals for this Giro. "I'm looking forward to racing against Olav and everyone else in the Giro. I’m not going to Italy just to learn; I have ambitious goals: to win a stage, that’s what I’d like to achieve," he stated during the spring. The points jersey could also become a goal during the Giro.

Pithie will be supported by Lewis Askey and Fabian Lienhard, among others. Clément Davy, Cyril Barthe, Lorenzo Germani and Olivier Le Gac complete the selection. "Laurence will be surrounded by a close-knit group that will enable him to express himself to the full on the sprint finishes, as well as on certain hilly stages where his versatile profile will be a major asset," Groupama-FDJ wrote on their website regarding the strategy behind their selection.

Intermarché-Wanty: Biniam Girmay 

Intermarché-Wanty is definitely clear about its goals in this Giro d'Italia: stage wins, that's the aim for the Belgian team. "With Biniam Girmay, we're targeting victories in stages suited for sprinters, particularly those at the start of the Giro with a hilly profile, which suit us best. But he could also do well in the flat stages tailor-made for pure sprinters, as he showed again this year in Australia and Tirreno-Adriatico," says sports manager Aike Visbeek.

Girmay will of course have plenty of support. "He can rely on the support of Adrien Petit and Dion Smith, who bring their common experience of last summer's Tour de France, as well as on the advice of our sprint coach Pieter Vanspeybrouck. With his third place in the Tour de Romandie on Sunday, Smith confirmed that he is in good shape. Just like them, our young talent Madis Mihkels already performed a winning lead out this season, for Biniam in the Surf Coast Classic."

In the tougher stages, the Intermarché-Wanty riders will get carte blanche. "We'll also be looking out for opportunities in the transitional stages, with different rider profiles like Lilian Calmejane. Our young talents such as Madis Mihkels, Roel van Sintmaartensdijk, Dries De Pooter and Kevin Colleoni will be able to discover a three-week race without any pressure, to emerge from the experience richer and with a lot more confidence, as it represents an important phase in their development."

Israel-Premier Tech: Michael Woods and Ethan Vernon

Derek Gee was one of the biggest revelations of last year's Giro d'Italia, but he will not be participating on behalf of Israel-Premier Tech in the 2024 edition. Sporting director Rene Andrle outlined the team's ambitions and its eight riders. "The experience of guys like Mike Woods, Simon Clarke and Nick Schultz will be instrumental and I think all three riders are capable of winning a stage." For Woods, this would mean completing his trilogy of stage wins in grand tours.

"Marco Frigo has the added motivation of racing on home soil, while Hugo Hofstetter will be racing his first Giro d’Italia. Riley Pickrell, Nadav Raisberg and Ethan Vernon are starting their first Grand Tour. Ethan, Hugo and Riley give us multiple cards to play in the sprint stages and I really think we have a team that can win on all terrains.”

Woods added that he is opting for a "conservative start" after a recent illness, so he can later chase that coveted stage win in the Giro. Vernon, in turn, said he views the Giro as "a big training block ahead of the Olympics," which are very important to him, and he also wants to try his luck in the two time trials. Additionally, he sees the Tour of Italy as an opportunity to gain experience in the grand tours.

Lidl-Trek: Jonathan Milan, Jasper Stuyven and Juanpe Lopez

Thanks to a financial boost from Lidl, Lidl-Trek has become one of the largest teams in the world, but saw its intended leader Giulio Ciccone drop out for this Giro. Consequently, the team shifted its focus somewhat. "We have one primary goal for this Giro: to win stages," said head team leader Gregory Rast, who was also the mastermind behind the team's (successful) tactics during the classics.

"With a sprinter like Milan, we will do everything to turn every potential sprint finish into a sprint," Rast continued. "He is capable of winning the points jersey, just like last year, and will be supported by Edward Theuns, Simone Consonni and Jasper Stuyven, who will also have his own chances to pursue later in the Giro."

"Juanpe Lopez has also proven that he is ready for the Giro. His victory at the Tour of the Alps speaks for itself. I am convinced that he can chase stage success on the toughest days. Then, day after day, he can keep an eye on the evolution of the fight for the GC. I believe this can be a goal to chase as we go along. Andrea Bagioli has all the makings of a valuable wild card in the mixed stages, while both Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier and Daan Hoole have the skills to contribute to our goals in very important ways."

Movistar: Nairo Quintana, Fernando Gaviria and Einer Rubio 

There is precisely one former winner of the Giro d'Italia at the start in Turin, and that is Nairo Quintana of Movistar. The Colombian is sharing the team leadership for the 2024 edition – his first grand tour since 2022 – with compatriots Fernando Gaviria and Einer Rubio, who whon a stage in last year's edition of the Italian three-week race. Rubio, who resides in Italy, has his eye on stage ten in particular, as it finishes right at his doorstep on the Bocca della Selva.

Quintana suffered an injury a few weeks ago due to a fall in the Tour of Catalonia, but he has recovered in time for the Giro. The Colombian hopes to get through the first week so that he can shine in the third week: during this period, several high-altitude stages will be raced around Livigno, where the second rest day will also be. On the penultimate day, the peloton will pass over the Grappa twice, and that is where Quintana clinched his victory in 2014.

Gaviria is set to do his thing in the sprints, supported by Albert Torres, Davide Cimolai and Lorenzo Milesi. Pelayo Sanchez and Will Barta are potential attackers, completing the selection under team directors Max Sciandri, José Joaquín Rojas and Jurgen Roelandts.

Soudal Quick-Step: Tim Merlier, Julian Alaphilippe and Mauri Vansevenant

Remco Evenepoel is not part of the Soudal Quick-Step team, but they are nonetheless heading to Italy with a strong selection. Tim Merlier, the victory king who has already pulled off seven wins this season, is on the hunt for stage success in the flatter stages. He will be supported by his close friend Bert Van Lerberghe, the young American Luke Lamperti and the Czech powerhouse Josef Cerny.

Team director Davide Bramati, a quintessential Italian, is confident. "We have a good team for this first grand tour of the season, with promising riders for all stages," he explains. "I sense confidence and motivation in everyone to make this a successful Giro."

In the tougher stages, Julian Alaphilippe, Mauri Vansevenant and Jan Hirt are each allowed to do their thing, with Pieter Serry acting as the cement between the bricks in his tenth Giro. "It's not going to be easy, it never is, but we are ready to take this Giro day by day and give the best of ourselves. Hopefully, that will yield results," says Bramati.

dsm-firmenich PostNL: Romain Bardet and Fabio Jakobsen

dsm-Firmenich PostNL is undoubtedly betting on two horses in the upcoming Giro d'Italia: on one hand, they have Romain Bardet, and on the other hand, there is Fabio Jakobsen, supported by three-time Tour of Turkey stage winner Tobias Lund Andresen. Timo Roosen and Max Poole, in turn, have been replaced by Bram Welten and Gijs Leemreize in the team.

"As usual, it will be another challenging three-week route around Italy with a mix of terrain awaiting us," says team director Matt Winston. "We head to the Giro with a squad who have shown in recent races that they are in good form and the morale is high within the group. We have ambitions of top stage results in the sprints with Fabio as our finisher. Our sprint group has shown great progress in the recent Tour of Turkey, so there should be opportunities for us."

"We also aim to ride the best GC possible with Romain as our finisher there, while also looking for our opportunities to be in the fight for stage wins and top results on the hilly and mountainous terrain too," Winston continues. "To achieve these goals, we will need to work well as a group throughout the race, riding as a unit and giving everything for each other over the course of three weeks, so that we can consistently show ourselves at the front of the proceedings."

Jayco AlUla: Eddie Dunbar, Luke Plapp and Caleb Ewan

The GreenEdge battalion from Australia is heading to Turin with multiple cards to play. Jayco AlUla aims to score both in the overall classification and stage victories, and has opted for a strong all-around team. Eddie Dunbar is announced as the leader for the general classification, supported by Filippo Zana and Alessandro de Marchi. Luke Plapp, meanwhile, is somewhat in between, as the Aussie also focuses on the two time trials.

On the other hand, there's Caleb Ewan with strong lead-outs Luka Mezgec and Max Walscheid, who have set themselves the goal of shining in the highly competitive sprint field. Michael Hepburn is the all-rounder completing the team of sports director David McPartland. "We are ready to focus on this special race," says McPartland.

McPartland specifies the ambitions of his riders. "On the GC front we are aiming to finish in the top 10, and on the stages front our goal is to win at least one stage with Caleb and another from the various other guys. Additionally, we'll be looking at the time trials with Luke, or opportunities in the mountain stages through a breakaway or other attacks. Months of hard work have gone into preparing for this race, from all our Giro riders and staff. We have had a lot of success over the years at the Giro and our aim is to simply add to that again in the 2024 edition”.

Polti-Kometa: Davide Piganzoli and Matteo Fabbro

"A challenge, a gift, an opportunity." That is how Polti-Kometa, the team of Ivan Basso and Alberto Contador, described their plans for the Giro d'Italia. In the team's press release, each rider was assigned a clear role: Matteo Fabbro will go for the general classification, while climber Davide Piganzoli will get a more free role in the mountains. Giovanni Lonardi is the designated sprinter, while Davide Bais, Mattia Bais, Mirco Maesti and Andrea Pietrobon will be allowed to chase breakaways.

Basso and his team's goals are ambitious. "It's not enough for us to just do well in general. We want to race the right way, win a third stage in four years, fight for the mountain jersey, and finish in the top ten in the general classification," said the former winner. "For us, it's the race of the year, so we have prepared more than perfectly."

Team directors Stefano Zanatta and Jesús Hernandez add their thoughts, along with mountain jersey contender Davide Bais and lead-out Maestri. "It will be a very demanding race, right from the start. That's why we're bringing many strong climbers, starting with Fabbro and Piganzoli. But without neglecting the sprints, for which we rely on Lonardi."

Visma | Lease a Bike: Cian Uijtdebroeks, Olav Kooij and Christophe Laporte

No Wout van Aert for Visma | Lease a Bike, but that didn't really change the objective: to win as many stages as possible and see how far Cian Uijtdebroeks can go in the general classification. "This time, we don't need to fight for every meter every day with the general classification in mind. This is a big difference compared to the last six Grand Tours we participated in. We always started those with the overall victory as the main goal, but that is not the case now."

"We mainly aim to achieve stage victories in the flat sprints with Olav. We will also not hide in the stages where a breakaway has a good chance of succeeding," team director Marc Reef says, leaving room for good performances for his other riders, including Christophe Laporte, Attila Valter and Jan Tratnik.

"Cian may take his chances in the general classification. The main focus is on learning. We will see what he is capable of in the coming weeks. However, the confidence is certainly there. We have been working together for a few months now, and it's going very well. We are learning more and more about what we can expect from each other," explains the team director.

Tudor Pro Cycling Team: Alberto Dainese, Matteo Trentin and Michael Storer

If this Giro is special for one team, it's Tudor Pro Cycling Team. The Swiss formation is embarking on its first grand tour in Turin. They do so with a solid selection, aiming for a stage win as the ultimate goal. "With this eight-man squad, we believe we have opportunities to seize a stage," stated team representative Fabian Cancellara.

Who will be responsible for making that happen? The team has neatly outlined that. "Alberto Dainese has already won three Grand Tour stages and will be the main man for flatter stages finishing in bunch sprints. Robin Froidevaux will be his lead-out, whereas Alexander Krieger and Marius Mayrhofer also have their roles. Marius will also try to capture his first ever grand tour stage victory, while road captain Matteo Trentin aims to increase his tally to nine."

In the mountains, the team aims to be well-prepared. "The 2021 Vuelta a Espana King of the Mountain, Michael Storer, together with German Florian Stork, will be the team’s best options for a stage victory when the peloton hits the mountains. The versatile Dane Alexander Kamp completes the line up, adding strength for hilly stages."

UAE-Team Emirates: Tadej Pogacar and Juan Sebastian Molano

There is only one absolute top favorite for this Giro d'Italia, and that is undoubtedly Tadej Pogacar of UAE-Team Emirates. As the true leader, he was the one speaking in the team's press release. "The preparation for the Giro has gone really well. I haven’t raced too much so far this year, so I’m feeling fresh and ready to take on my first Giro."

"It’s a race I’ve dreamed of doing for a long time and it feels like now is the right time to go for it," says Pogacar. "I hope we can make this month a special one. Obviously my aim is to go for the GC and we also have Molano for the sprints." The Colombian can rely on his usual lead-out, Rui Oliveira.

"We have a very solid team in general," the leader points out, mentioning his regular climbing support Rafal Majka, all-rounder Mikkel Bjerg, and equally reliable riders like Domen Novak, Vegard Stake Laengen and Felix Grossschartner. "We can’t wait to get the Giro started."

VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizané: Giulio Pellizzari, Domenico Pozzovivo and Filippo Fiorelli

The Italian team VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizané markets itself as the fully Italian squad, with the 41-year-old veteran Domenico Pozzovivo leading the team. "The goal is stage victory, but we also aim to focus on the general classification with Pozzovivo," stated team manager Roberto Reverberi. On the other hand, there's also the young rider Giulio Pellizzari, who will have a free role in the high mountains.

"Domenico takes on the role of leader, but with Giulio, we have another rider who has shown great potential at the Tour of the Alps," Reverberi outlined, also including two sprinters in his selection. "Enrico Zanoncello demonstrated his fast legs by winning the first stage of the Giro d'Abruzzo, while Filippo Fiorelli proved he can contend with his third place in Rome last year."

Furthermore, Reverberi identified several riders tasked with earning valuable TV time through breakaways: Alessandro Tonelli, Manuele Tarozzi, Luca Covili and Martin Marcellusi.

Bahrain Victorious: Damiano Caruso, Phil Bauhaus and Antonio Tiberi

No Wout Poels, that was surely the most striking aspect of Bahrain Victorious' selection and ambitions. This is of course a massive disappointment for Poels himself, as he had geared his entire year towards the Italian tour. Damiano Caruso and Antonio Tiberi start with podium ambitions on behalf of Bahrain Victorious, and there was no room for the amiable Dutchman.

Head sports director Gorazd Stangelj provided some insight. "We need to balance the strengths we have with us in Bauhaus on the flat, and Tiberi/Caruso in the mountains. We would like to win stages with Phil and also do well in the general classification. We have the tools and the riders to compete both in the sprint stages and for the overall classification."

""We dream about a podium with Antonio or Damiano, but we will have to see how things turn out each day. Anything can happen, even on day one, so you need to focus from the beginning," Stangelj stated, adding a wildcard with Austrian rider Rainer Kepplinger. "Nobody really knows him that much, so we may be able to spring a surprise with him."