The 109th edition of the Corsa Rosa features 50 classified climbs, 49,000 meters of elevation gain and seven mountaintop finishes, including the Blockhaus, the Cari and the Piancavallo. Sprinters will also have their opportunities, two of which are scheduled for the first and last weekends of racing, while time trial specialists will have their chance in the tenth stage, a flat 42 km individual time trial that promises to shake up the general classification.

Soudal Quick-Step, which will wear a special vintage cream jersey to commemorate Castelli's 150th anniversary, has arrived in Bulgaria with a squad capable of competing on all terrains, a group of eight riders motivated to continue the Wolfpack's tradition of collecting stage wins at the Corsa Rosa. One of the world's best sprinters, Paul Magnier, is preparing to start his second Grand Tour, motivated to prove his speed in bunch sprints, while Filippo Zana, winner of this year's Tour of Sardinia, hopes to be a protagonist in the mountains and confirm the excellent results achieved in recent months wearing the Soudal Quick-Step jersey.

After a solid campaign in the Classics, culminating with third place at Paris-Roubaix, Jasper Stuyven will join the squad for his thirteenth Grand Tour participation. Completing our lineup for the Giro d'Italia are Ayco Bastiaens, Gianmarco Garofoli, Grand Tour debutant Andrea Raccagni, Fabio Van den Bossche and Dries Van Gestel.

«It is one of the most beautiful, most difficult and unpredictable races of the season, but the squad we have for the next three weeks and the ambition that the riders bring to the start give us confidence that we can make our mark at the Giro. Paul returns after an excellent debut last year, with the goal of fighting for a stage win, and will be supported by an experienced sprint train, capable of guiding him through the most hectic finishes,» said Davide Bramati.

The Soudal Quick-Step sports director, with 12 Giro d'Italia participations under his belt, continued: «Jasper arrives here after an excellent Classics campaign and can also be in contention for good results, while Filippo will try to achieve a good position in the general classification. It's a demanding course and things can change from one day to the next, so we'll tackle each stage and together we'll see how it goes. If you look at our squad, you'll see many riders who can be there, in the stage finale or in a breakaway, which gives us confidence. There's a lot of enthusiasm in the team and we can't wait to get started.»