Ben Swift (Team Sky) has made Milan-San Remo one of his major objectives for 2015. The Yorkshireman finished third in La classicissima di Primavera this year after running from an injury and illness 2013.
"I showed this year that Milan-San Remo is quite a good race for me, and I only got a pretty late call-up once we knew the course had changed. Now we know from early on that it's going to be the same as this year," he said on Team Sky's website.
"I definitely want to make that a big focal point for the start of the year – and doing that works well with the races around it, like Pais Vasco. I do enjoy the big bunch sprints but I much prefer the hillier sprints when you've got 40 men left."
Swift went through the 2013 season without picking up a single win – a first since he turned professional – but with a solid winter base behind him he picked up an individual stage at Coppi-Bartali and one at Pais Vasco.
"This year I've been able to string together such a solid season. I've been ill just once so there haven't been many setbacks. I've had quite a few crashes but I've felt like I've rebounded from them pretty well, which has been really encouraging."
Australia hit the ground running at UCI Track World Cup
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Australia kicked off their march to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games with a strong performance on the opening two days of the UCI Track World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico. After two day of racing they sat top of the medals table with two gold medal and a silver.
Kaarle McCulloch and Stephanie Morton picked up the first gold in the women's team sprint before Sam Welsford, Daniel Fitter, Alex Porter, Miles Scotson and Glenn O'Shea put Great Britain to the sword in the men’s team pursuit.
Matthew Glaetzer chipped in with silver in the men's Keirin.
"Our times were awesome. It was great to do two 3:55's," said Welsford in a team press release. "Racing at the world elite level is a great experience alone but to do with two senior world champions is unreal."
Anna Meares retuned to racing in the women's sprint but she was unable to make the semi-finals of her event. "I lost my quarter final but won the '5th to 8th' final, but I have collected valuable Rio points I earned tonight," said Meares. "So I am happy with my result.
"I learnt a lot about some new riders stepping up and also about myself which is great. Happy to still be learning, positive, and happy."
