Mavi Garcia (Liv AlUla Jayco) has become one of the most consistent general classification contenders at the Giro d'Italia Women and planned to fight for a spot on the final podium at the eight-day race that starts on Sunday in Brescia.
The former Spanish Champion said she was in solid form, especially after her overall victory at the Vuelta Ciclista Andalucia, and ready to tackle one of the most challenging editions of the Italian Grand Tour.
"I think I prepared very well for my seventh Giro. It is one of my favourite races and has given me great satisfaction with four top-10s in the last four editions," Garcia said.
"After the victory at the Vuelta a Andalucía at the end of May, I trained at altitude to compete at the nationals.
"I know that every year that passes, it is more and more difficult, but I will try to fight for the podium in one of the toughest Giros in recent years."
Garcia was third overall in the 2022 edition, and she has been a staple in the GC standings, finishing seventh last year, fifth in 2021, and ninth in 2020.
She excels across hilly terrain and in tough, tactical racing often ensuring that she is in a position to fight for a breakaway or finish among the selection on major ascents.
With a climbing-focused Liv AlUla Jayco team, Garcia will be able to target the mid-mountain races on stages 3, 4, 5, and 6 and attempt to take the maglia rosa while holding her position on the two high-mountain stages 7 and 8.
Garcia will be joined by Ella Wyllie, who will support Garcia in the mountains, Urška Žigart, Amber Pate, Silke Smulders and Ingvild Gåskjenn, while Ruby Roseman-Gannon will focus on the sprint stages.
Roseman-Gannon recently secured her first WorldTour stage victory at the Tour of Britain Women.
"We have a pretty good and competitive team for this Giro, which presents a very hard course. The further south you go, the harder it becomes. We have Mavi and Ella, who are both good climbers and will go for GC and Ella also for the youth jersey," said the team's director, Shawn Clarke.
"We have a couple of fast finishers with Ruby and Ingvild, and there are two stages that suit both of them very well. In support, we have Urška, a fresh Slovenian champion, who is doing super well, Amber, who has grown a lot this season, and finally, Silke, who is a solid all-rounder.”
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