Teams sit down with media in Appeldoorn as the Giro prologue nears
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Reporters ask questions of the Giant-Alpecin riders.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Astana riders gather for photos(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Mauro Vegni of RCS Sport and Vincenzo Nibali of Astana greet each other at Wednesday's pre-Giro press conference.(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Reporters zero in at the Team Sky press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Lights! Camera! Action! Team Sky riders pose for photos at Wednesday's press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Jacob Fuglsang listens to a question at the Astana press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Michele Scarponi answers a question at the Astana press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Vincenzo Nibali is going into the 2016 Giro as a top favourite.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Jacob Fuglsang listens to a question at the Astana press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev answers a question at the Astana press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Vincenzo Nibali at Wednesday's pre-Giro press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Vincenzo Nibali at Wednesday's pre-Giro press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Vincenzo Nibali waits for the press conference to start.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Domenico Pozzovivo answers a question at the AG2R press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Mikel Landa will be carrying Team Sky's general classification hopes at the 2016 Giro d'Italia(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Mikel Landa will be carrying Team Sky's general classification hopes at the 2016 Giro d'Italia(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Mikel Landa will be carrying Team Sky's general classification hopes at the 2016 Giro d'Italia(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Elia Viviani and Mikel Landa at the Team Sky press conference.(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Dario Cioni (Team Sky)(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Mikel Landa (Team Sky) waits for the press conference.(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Mauro Vegni of RCS Sport and Vincenzo Nibali of Astana greet each other at Wednesday's pre-Giro press conference.(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Jacob Fuglsang, Michele Scarponi, Vincenzo Nibali and Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev (Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Cannondale Pro Cycling's Riogoberto Uran.(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Sergey Firsanov (Gazprom - RusVelo)(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Davide Formolo (Cannondale)(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Cannondale Pro Cycling's Riogoberto Uran.(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Lotto Soudal's Andre Greipel.(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Domenico Pozzovivo answers a question at the AG2R press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
AG2R's Domenico Pozzovivo and Jean Christophe Peraud(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Dumoulin at the Giant-Alpecin press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Giant-Alpecin riders answers questions during Wednesday's press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Dumoulin was center stage at the Giant-Alpecin press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Dumoulin was center stage at the Giant-Alpecin press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Chad Haga was one of six Giant-Alpecin riders involved in collision with an auto while training this spring, but he's back for his second Giro d'Italia.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Dumoulin waits for the start of Wednesday's press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Giant-Alpecin riders at the press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Reporters ask questions at the AG2R press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Domenico Pozzovivo (AG2R)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Domenico Pozzovivo answers a question at the AG2R press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Dumoulin laughs with reporters at the Giant-Alpecin press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Sprinter Nikias Arndt (Giant-Alpecin) will be looking for stage wins at the 2016 Giro.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tim Wellens and Andre Greipel represented Lotto Soudal at the press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
A video camera captures the scene at Wednesday's press conference (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Jean Christophe Peraud at Wednesday's press conference (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
AG2R's Domenico Pozzovivo(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
AG2R's Domenico Pozzovivo and Jean Christophe Peraud(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
AG2R's Domenico Pozzovivo and Jean Christophe Peraud at the Giro press conference (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tim Wellens represented Lotto Soudal at the press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Andre Geipel answers a question at Wednesday's press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Andre Geipel answers a question at Wednesday's press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tim Wellens answers a question at the press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Andre Geipel answers a question at Wednesday's press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tim Wellens and Andre Greipel represented Lotto Soudal at the press conference.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Jean Christophe Peraud at Wednesday's press conference (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
With the start of the 2016 Giro d'Italia quickly approaching on Friday in Appledoorn, riders gathered today in front of the media in almost cattle-call fashion as one squad after another took the dais at the Apeldoorn Omnisport to answer questions and comment on the race.
Riders used the occasion to in turns downplay expectations, talk about their confidence going into the race, face up to the pressure of being a veteran and a favourite or talk about their goals as their young career develops. Most hold their cards close to their chest as the the eve of the race nears.
Check out the photo gallery above for a look at today's media events.
