LottoNL-Jumbo will head to the Italian monument with Primoz Roglic and Juan José Lobato in its ranks. The two just ended Tirreno-Adriatico on a high-note. The race, 291 kilometres from Italy’s business capital to the riviera, is the first and longest monument of the season. Last year, Frenchman Arnaud Démare won and Maarten Tjallingii, just like in 2015, flew LottoNL-Jumbo yellow and black colours in the breakaway.

The sprinters love this race with its fast finish on Via Roma in Sanremo, but there is no guarantee they will go for the win given the climbs beforehand. The riders have to climb the Passo del Turchino midway through the race, three small capi, and in the final 20 kilometres, the Cipressa and the Poggio. The Poggio leaves only six kilometres to the line in the heart of Sanremo.

Addy Engels and Frans Maassen will direct the team composed of eight men who have put race kilometres in their legs over the last week. Enrico Battaglin, Jos van Emden, Primoz Roglic, Juan José Lobato and Paul Martens come from Italy’s Tirreno Adriatico stage race, which ended on Tuesday. Tom Leezer and Bram Tankink raced in Paris-Nice, ending on Sunday on France’s Côte d’Azur. And Twan Castelijns placed second in Drenthe on Saturday. He will also race in Nokere Koers on Wednesday before travelling to Milan.

18/03  Milano - San Remo,  291 km

Riders:

Enrico Battaglin

Twan Castelijns

Jos van Emden

Tom Leezer

Juan José Lobato

Paul Martens

Primoz Roglic

Bram Tankink

Coaches: Addy Engels and Frans Maassen

Doctor: Peter Verstappen

Soigneurs: Anthony Devliegere, Maarten Mimpen and Luca Schiemsky

Mechanics: Dirk Janssen and Jan Willem van der Heijden

Bus driver: Kees Hamelink