Red and green dream for Lidl-Trek at La Vuelta? Mads Pedersen and Giulio Ciccone headline American team

Lidl-Trek have revealed their '8' for the Vuelta a Espana and it includes big contenders for the red and green jerseys. The American team are led by Mads Pedersen and Giulio Ciccone in Spain, with a team that can afford to have high ambitions throughout the upcoming three weeks.

Mads Pedersen comes in as the team leader and favourite for the points classification, being one of the strongest sprinters on the startlist, having great capacity to climb - something crucial for the entire Grand Tour - and off the back of a dominant Tour of Denmark where he won three out of the five stages and the overall classification.

Whilst the Dane won't have a specialized leadout behind him, he will have Soren Kragh Andersen and Daan Hoole backing him up - both who can have stage ambitions of their own in the breakaways and time-trial respectively. Julien Bernard will have a supporting and breakaway-chasing role whilst Andrea Bagioli will want to show his best legs in the explosive finishes, likely also supporting Pedersen in a few days.

On the climber-side of the team Giulio Ciccone, recent winner of the Clásica San Sebastián and the queen stage of the Vuelta a Burgos, has good reasons to come in with high confidence into the race. The Italian will be a strong podium contender if he is able to stay upright throughout the three weeks, and can be a menace after having regained his winning ways. Carlos Verona and Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier will be his main support men in the mountains.

"Looking to the Vuelta, I’m excited. We have a really strong team, quite similar to the Giro, which was close to perfect. Until he crashed at the Giro, we showed that it worked well combining the stage and points jersey ambitions with Cicco in the mountains. Now at the Vuelta I think we can do the same, but I would love to see him reach all the way to Madrid with a top result".

"My first goal is to win some stages, and then hopefully that puts me in a good place for the points jersey. Having all three Grand Tour points jersey won by the team in one year would be the cherry on the top. My form is good, and the other guys in our team have shown they’re in really good shape too. I think we can go into the Vuelta with a lot of confidence and have some fun".

"It was not an easy time for me after the crash in the Giro. There was, of course, a lot of disappointment but once I saw through that, and believed again that there was the light at the end of the tunnel, I was motivated to come back racing stronger than before. I never expected to win immediately but victory in San Sebastián was something really incredible, and then to follow it up with a stage win at the Vuelta a Burgos just confirmed to me that my shape is where I want it to be".

"I’m feeling really happy at this point ahead of the Vuelta a España and I am going there with full confidence in myself and in the team I will be racing alongside. This race is always a special challenge, with difficult terrain, but my focus is to continue this momentum. We know the Vuelta can be unpredictable, but I’m determined to race at my highest level possible and make the most of every opportunity on the journey to Madrid".