Team Sky confirms 2016 Giro d'Italia squad: Mikel Landa to lead
No British riders selected to take part in this year's Giro d'Italia as Mikel Landa leads Team Sky at the opening Grand Tour of 2016

Mikel Landa on stage three of the 2016 Tour of The Basque Country

Mikel Landa will lead Team Sky at this year's Giro d'Italia (May 6-29), as the team announced its line-up for the opening Grand Tour of 2016 that is noticeably devoid of British riders.
Landa took his first stage race victory since signing for Team Sky at the Giro del Trentino in April and heads up the British WorldTour team's nine-man squad.
>>> Giro d'Italia 2016: Latest news, reports and info
The 26-year-old Spaniard was third overall in the 2015 Giro, and will be backed by a strong selection of climbers and rouleurs to assist him during the race's key mountain stages.
Spaniards Mikel Nieve and David Lopez; Irishmen Nicolas Roche and Philip Deignan; American Ian Boswell; German Christian Knees; and Colombian Sebastian Henao will all support Landa.
Landa will face Italian Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), who goes into the race as the leading favourite for the overall victory. The start list is missing the last two overall winners: Alberto Contador (Tinkoff) and Nairo Quintana (Movistar), both of whom are focussing on the Tour de France. Nibali won the race in 2013.
>>> Mikel Landa takes bonus seconds to seal overall win at Giro del Trentino
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
A stage winner last year, Elia Viviani will be Sky's option for bunch sprints, although it is likely that he may only have a limited number of riders to assist him in a lead-out given the squad's GC focus.
Viviani faces strong opposition in the sprints, with Marcel Kittel (Etixx-QuickStep), André Greipel (Lotto-Soudal), Caleb Ewan (Orica-GreenEdge), Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek-Segafredo) and Milan-San Remo winner Arnaud Demare (FDJ) all present.
Sergio Henao had originally been on Sky's short-list for the Giro d'Italia, but is currently withdrawn from racing by the team as his biological passport figures are being investigated.
With the absence of Movistar's Alex Dowsett due to collarbone surgery, the Giro will not feature any British riders for the second year running.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
-
The 2027 Tour de France will be within touching distance in the UK - here's what you can expect and when you'll need to book on accommodation
The Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will begin on British roads in 2027 - here's everything you need to know
By Adam Becket Published
-
I can’t wait for the Tour de France to come to the UK, but inspiring a generation will take more than souvenirs and a momentary flash of wheels
Simply having the men’s and women’s races on British roads isn’t enough to get people into riding and racing
By Adam Becket Published
-
'We've all got a little bit extra in us this year' - Ineos Grenadiers recapture 'fighting spirit' with aggressive Paris-Nice display
British team continue to put tumultuous 2024 behind them with momentum and a new found mentality
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Could a TotalEnergies deal be the end of Ineos Grenadiers as we know them?
Reports suggested this week that Ineos could be close to signing a deal with the French petrochemical firm
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'They’re racing with their hearts again' - Robbie McEwen on Ineos Grenadiers' bright start to 2025
The British squad have already won four times in 2025
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers are entertaining so far this year, but how long will it last?
The British WorldTour squad have won four times already in 2025, but more than that, they have been fun. Is this the new dawn?
By Adam Becket Published
-
Caleb Ewan says he was put in a 'bad situation' by Jayco AlUla before he joined Ineos Grenadiers
Ewan joined Ineos Grenadiers in January after spending just one year with Jayco AlUla
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'There's no bull****, that's what I've always liked' - Geraint Thomas's first BC coach Rod Ellingworth on the retiring Welshman
The 2018 Tour de France winner will step away from professional cycling at the end of the season
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'It is time to change goals' - Egan Bernal's coach confirms Ineos Grenadiers exit
'I want to thank all the cyclists I have had the opportunity to coach over the past ten years' Xabier Artetxe says in LinkedIn post
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Geraint Thomas represented 'all the best things about the golden era of British Cycling' - tributes paid to retiring rider
Former and current teammates and other figures from within pro cycling react to the Welshman’s decision to retire at the end of the current season
By Tom Thewlis Published