With only a few weeks to go now until the 2014 Giro d’Italia, it’s time to officially get excited about some nice Italian scenery. The Giro isn’t just another big tour, it’s the tour that kick starts the ‘big three’. But don’t mistake the Giro d’Italia as an opener or warm-up act for le Tour, as even though it is sometimes seen that way by spectators, true fans know that the Giro is one of the most exciting, tense and celebrated cycling events of all time.

In this ProBikeKit three part series leading up to the Giro d’Italia, we’ll be covering the teams, the stages and the star riders to watch out for in this years great Italian tour. In this first edition, we’re going to give you a run down of the top teams taking part in this year’s tour, from the big name giants to the wildcard underdogs: this year’s Giro is going to be a good one.

 

The Teams

 

The teams on the starting line of this years Giro are looking ready and willing to shatter the 2013 titleholder Vincenzo Nibali’s previous glory. Featured in the line-up this year are names like Omega-Pharma Quick-Step, Belkin, BMC Racing, Cannondale, Garmin-Sharp and many more. Read on to get a closer look at the top teams.

Omega-Pharma Quick-Step (Belgium)

 

Belgian favourites Omega-Pharma Quick-Step are strong competitors, but with rumours of sprinting star Mark Cavendish not taking part now confirmed because of an illness, the all-star line-up is a little weaker and the competition may find it easier to slip through the gaps in their game.

In their black, turquoise and white team kits, Omega-Pharma will be hard to miss against the clear, white mountains as they stealthily swerve through the scenery. At ProBikeKit we have everything Omega-Pharma Quick-Step, including the bib shorts, jerseys, caps and gloves, all available for international shipping.

Belkin Pro Cycling Team (Netherlands)

 

Team Belkin have always been a strong unit – under the moniker Rabobank – maintaining a powerful presence in cycling tours over the last decade. The Dutch team features star rider Bauke Mollema, who recently put in a good performance at the Tour de France, and is definitely one to watch out for on the hilly stages.

Watch out for the  Dutch team in green this year at the Giro, as they’re never short of a good effort. Keep an eye out for Dutchmen Lars Boom, Jetse Bol and Theo Bos. Get your Belkin kit here.

Team Sky (England)

 

The boys in black always put on a good show, with cyclists such as Chris Froome, Bradley Wiggins, Peter Kennaugh,  Geraint Thomas and Richie Porte, Team Sky really are an all-round winning team. They’ve proven their worth in the last two Tour de France races with Wiggins’ and Froome’s wins, but with a lot of keen riders coming up the ranks in rival teams, have they still got what it takes to maintain their reputation as a tour-winning team?  With neither a British team nor rider ever having won the Giro, history could be written this year.

 

Garmin Sharp

 

Stateside powerhouse cycling team Garmin Sharp will be at the Giro d’Italia this year as expected, bringing along with them their superstars Jack Bauer, David Millar and Dan Martin.

One of the stronger American teams, along with BMC, Garmin-Sharp bring with them a flamboyant show of thrills and speed. Jack Bauer and co could be in with a few surprises in this year’s Giro d’Italia, so don’t write off Jonathan Vaughters’ boys just yet. Here at ProBikeKit we have Garmin-Sharp’s team jersey, climber’s jersey, aero jersey, bib shorts and much more.

 

 

The Wildest Card –  Colombia

 

Our wildcard favourite here at ProBikeKit is new-kid-on-the-block Colombia. Founded in 2012, the Italian-based team are ‘inspired by climbing’, and starting with a few invites to the Italian classic races in 2012, and then invited to ride their first Giro last year, the wildcard team are ready to start this year and with a roster full of Colombian riders, they look to give Italy something new this year.

 

 

The race for glory – the teams of the 2014 Giro d’Italia

 

The teams in this years Giro d’Italia are much more than the ones to look out for above, the full list of teams is as follows:

• AG2R La Mondiale
• Astana Pro Team
• Belkin Pro Cycling
• Garmin-Sharp
• Omega-Pharma Quick-Step
• BMC Racing Team
• Cannondale
• FDJ.fr
• Lampre-Merida
• Lotto Belisol
• Movistar Team
• Orica GreenEdge
• Team Europcar
• Team Giant-Shimano
• Team Katusha
• Team Sky
• Tinkoff-Saxo
• Trek Factory Racing
• Androni Giocattoli
• Bardiani CSF
• Colombia
• Yellow Fluo

What team do you think will win the 2014 Giro d’Italia?

 

With so many big names and teams riding this year, the notoriously Italian-winner-dominated race  is as open as ever. Who are you rooting for this year? Does it matter that Omega are riding without Cavendish? What can Team Sky pull out of the bag this year? What do you think of this year’s wildcard teams?

These are all questions we are asking ourselves, and we’d love to hear what you think too. You can check out all of our Giro d’Italia offers and products here.