European champion Wiebes meanwhile, will look to prove herself once again, as the fastest female sprinter on two wheels. "Lorena Wiebes is having a great season. If there are sprint opportunities in this Giro d'Italia, then we obviously have a strong trump card in Lorena," Stam explains. "It's always nice to race with her as a top sprinter. With all those climbs in the Giro, it will also be a tough race for her, but knowing Lorena, she will definitely try to peak a number of times."
Four-time Giro winner Van der Breggen makes her return, but like with Kopecky, Stam is keen to not put any GC pressure on. “Anna van der Breggen has gained a lot of confidence with her third place and stage win in the Vuelta a España Feminina. In the Giro, she may have some cautious ambitions for the general classification, although the Giro is also preparation for the Tour de France Femmes for her," he says. "Her main goal is to support Lotte as best she can in France. With a view to preparing well for the Tour, she will definitely want to test her legs in the Giro and then see how that works out for the final classification."
Completing a strong team for SD Worx, are the quartet of
Steffi Haberlin,
Mikayla Harvey, Barbara Guarischi and Elena Cecchini. "We are not starting with a big ambition to win the overall classification in the Giro, but when we can force a good starting position, we are not going to miss such a great opportunity," Stam says of the wider team goals. "Because of this approach, a number of riders have a freer role to be able to go for stage wins."