Quick Step counting on youngsters in Italy

Belgian squad Quick Step will depend on its young riders at the Giro d'Italia, which starts later this week. The squad enjoyed a successful Spring Classics campaign, highlighted with Tom Boonen's Paris-Roubaix victory, but that success and its focus on Tour de France stage wins has left the Giro responsibilities falling on the team's younger riders.

"We're coming to the Giro with a young team, ready to attack," said sport director Luca Guercilena. "The average age of the team is 26. It's a great group with some strong individuals like Kevin Seeldraeyers, who wore the white jersey in the 2009 Paris-Nice. Our goal is to be ready to stand out at whatever moment the race will allow us to."

Seeldraeyers, contesting his second Giro, intends on staring on the climbs in this year's race. Baby Giro winner Dario Cataldo will also ride with the squad, joined by Giro debutants Kevin Hulsmans and Francesco Reda plus 21-year-old neo-professionals Mauro Facci and Davide Malacarne.