Filippo Ganna starting the Vuelta on home roads

The Vuelta starts this weekend for the first time in Italy. The Piedmon region plays host the the Vuelta after hosting a stage of the Tour de France last years and the Giro.

The Vuelta is a very mountainous this year. 10 summit finishes will look to give the advantage to Jonas Vineggaard of Visma Leas-a-bike.

The first stage features a third category climb that should soften the legs of sprinters.

Look for Jasper Philipsen and Mads Perdersen to battle Tim Merlier for the first stage win. Ganna could have an outside chance as he has been mixing it up with the sprinters.

For overall Italian hopes, Giulio Ciccone has never really targeted the GC. He was focused on GC at the Giro before he crashed and was injured.

Ciccone has been on a tear in the lead up to the Giro winning at San Sebastian and battling Isaac Del Toro and UEA in Bourgos as well.