Mads Pedersen leads Trek - Segafredo's goals at Vuelta a Espana

Mads Pedersen wasn't expected to be racing the Vuelta a Espana, but as Trek - Segafredo revealed their lineup for the final Grand Tour of the season it became apparent that the Dane will be the main card to play throughout the three weeks.

Fresh off a win at the Tour de France, Pedersen will not be taking the most commonly used preparation route to the World championships, having several flat and hilly classics which would be suited to him, but instead battling across the roads of Spain where he'll be a big contender for the sprint stages. He will have the support of Alex Kirsch and Daan Hoole in the leadouts, whilst the rest of the team will focus on stage wins and a possible GC tilt.

After leading several days at the Giro d'Italia and resisting to finish in tenth place, López will be eager to test his legs once again in his home country, with decisive stages in his region of Andalucia. Kenny Elissonde has also shown good form recently and will be a strong contender to fight for breakaway wins.

The team is completed by Antonio Tiberi who is making his Grand Tour debut, and two experienced figures in Julien Bernard and Dario Cataldo who are expected to be combative throughout the three weeks.

“First and foremost, we want to win a stage. That’s our priority," team DS Steven de Jongh said in a press release. "I think with Mads and the guys who will join him on the squad for the lead-out, Daan and Alex, we have a good team more than capable of achieving that. Then, on the other hand, we have a strong climbers group with Juanpe free to race for the General Classification. After a good Giro, I am looking forward to seeing what he can do, I think he has a good chance to do a nice result here too.”

Trek - Segafredo for Vuelta a Espana: Mads Pedersen, Dario Cataldo, Kenny Elissonde, Julien Bernard, Juan Pedro López, Antonio Tiberi, Alex Kirsch and Daan Hoole.