24yo climber Adam Yates was 'Best Young Rider' at the 2016 Tour de France and will be Orica-Scott's main man in the mountains at this year's Giro. Image: Sirotti.
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Sprint Star Caleb Ewan & Climbing Sensation Adam Yates Spearhead Orica-Scott At 100th Giro

Orica-Scott have announced their final lineup for the first Grand Tour of the year, the 100th Giro d’Italia which starts in Sardinia just after 10pm on Friday night (AEST).

22yo Caleb Ewan will start his second Giro d' Italia when the 100th edition of the race kicks off on Friday. Image: Sirotti.
22yo Caleb Ewan will start his second Giro d’ Italia when the 100th edition of the race kicks off on Friday. Image: Sirotti.

In-form sprint sensation, 22yo Caleb Ewan, and 24yo UK climber Adam Yates are the team’s figurehead riders with Sports Director Matt White saying the sprinter / climber combination would be “a tricky mix”.

“We will mix our focus between Adam in the mountains and Caleb on the flat stages,” said White after the team announcement.

‘A Tricky Mix’

“It’s a tricky mix, but we aren’t the only people doing it and I am confident with the group we have we can chase both goals with success. We will certainly have something to concentrate on every day for the next three weeks. We certainly don’t go in as the favourites for the general classification. Even though we’ve had a couple of big names pull out, it’s still the best field ever assembled. It’s easier to list who’s not at the Giro than who is, so it’s an all-star cast.”

Esteban Chaves, the team’s Colombian climber, was earlier earmarked for the Giro but is continuing to recover from a knee injury. 

24yo climber Adam Yates was 'Best Young Rider' at the 2016 Tour de France and will be Orica-Scott's main man in the mountains at this year's Giro. Image: Sirotti.
24yo climber Adam Yates was ‘Best Young Rider’ at the 2016 Tour de France and will be Orica-Scott’s main man in the mountains at this year’s Giro. Image: Sirotti.

Matt White said he held high hopes for Adam Yates.  “It will be Adam’s first Giro d’Italia,” said White.  “(He) continues his learning process which means we can approach it in a different mindset. I think winning the (best young rider’s) white jersey and a top-10 finish are very achievable goals for him to have.”

Caleb Ewan’s Second Grand Tour Start

On the flatter stages Caleb Ewan’s main rivals will be Andre Greipel (Lotto Belisoll) and Fernando Gaviria of Quick-Step Floors.

“In Caleb’s second Giro we can really target winning a stage when the opportunities arise,” said White. “That will start on stage one with the Maglia Rosa the bonus for the winner.”

The ORICA-SCOTT team for the 100th Giro d’Italia 

Alexander Edmondson (AUS, 23)
Caleb Ewan
 (AUS, 22)
Michael Hepburn (AUS, 25)
Chris Juul-Jensen (DEN, 27)
Luka Mezgec (SLO, 28)
Ruben Plaza (SPA, 37)
Svein Tuft (CAN, 39)
Carlos Verona (SPA, 24)
Adam Yates (GBR, 24) 

Stages of the 2017 Giro d’Italia 

Friday, 5th May: Stage 1 – Alghero to Olbia (206km)
Saturday, 6th May: Stage 2 – Olbia to Tortoli (221km)
Sunday, 7th May: Stage 3 – Tortoli to Cagliari (148km)
Monday, 8th May: Rest/Transfer Day
Tuesday, 9th May: Stage 4 – Cefalu to Etna (181km)
Wednesday, 10th May: Stage 5 – Pedara to Messina (159km)
Thursday, 11th May: Stage 6 – Reggio Calabria to Terme Luigiane (217km)
Friday, 12th May: Stage 7 – Castrovillari to Alberobello (224km)
Saturday, 13th May: Stage 8 – Molfetta to Peschici (189km)
Sunday, 14th May: Stage 9 – Montenero di Bisaccia to Blockhaus (149km)
Monday, 15th May; Rest Day
Tuesday, 16th May: Stage 10 – Foligno to Montefalco ITT (39.8km)
Wednesday, 17th May: Stage 11 – Firenze to Bagno di Romagna (161km)
Thursday, 18th May: Stage 12 – Forli to Reggio Emilia (229km)
Friday, 19th May: Stage 13 – Reggio Emilia to Tortona (167km)
Saturday, 20th May: Stage 14 – Castellania to Oropa (131km)
Sunday, 21st May: Stage 15 – Valdengo to Bergamo (199km)
Monday, 22nd May: Rest Day
Tuesday, 23rd May: Stage 16 – Rovetta to Mornio (222km)
Wednesday, 24th May: Stage 17 – Tirano to Canazei (219km)
Thursday, 25th May: Stage 18 – Moena to Ortisei/St. Ulrich (137km)
Friday, 26th May: Stage 19 – San Candido/Innichen to Piancavallo (191km)
Saturday, 27th May: Stage 20 – Pordenone to Asiago (190km)
Sunday, 28th May: Stage 21 – Monza to Milano ITT (29.3km)

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