Cycling's elite converges on Italy

When it comes to week long stage races in the spring time, the Paris-Nice may hold the most historical prestige, but it's the Tirreno-Adriatico in 2014 were all the big names have shown up proving that this race may be beginning to overshadow the grand old 'Race to the Sun'. Such is the entry list this year, that you'd be forgiven for looking upon it as an early season battle of cycling's best, out to lay down the physiological marker over the others.

Of names that you would consider favorites to win or at least finish high up the order and be competitive come the Grand Tours, you have, in alphabetical order: Ivan Basso (Cannondale), Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo), Cadel Evans (BMC), Robert Gesink (Belkin), Chris Horner (Lampre), Roman Kreuziger (Tinkoff-Saxo), Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), Dan Martin (Garmin-Sharp), Bauke Mollema (Belkin), Thibaut Pinot (FDJ.fr), Richie Porte (Team Sky), Nairo Quintana (Movistar), Michele Scarponi (Astana), Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp), Rigoberto Uran (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), and Sir Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky).

The obvious names of Chris Froome (who was meant to ride but pulled out injured) and Vincenzo Nibali (at Paris-nice) aside, it's a who's who of stage race cycling in 2014. Not every one of them will be going for the win here of course ... some will be looking for form, but there will be others out to prove a point and looking for an early stage race victory to give them the confidence to carry into the season.



But don't think the name names of cycling stops there. Aside from who will win the GC, there will be others vying for stage wins and none more so than in the bunch sprints as the 'big four' of Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quickstep), Andre Greipel (Lotto Belisol), Marcel Kittel (Giant-Shimano), and Peter Sagan (Cannondale) are all present. And after the four way battle we seen between them at last years Tour de France, this is the first time we'll see them lock horns again with all four looking to gain the upper hand.

And then there's others who will be out to win a stage. Perhaps upset the sprinters or even the climbing sort who will be desperate to win the overall. To that end I think of Fabian Cancellara (Trek Factory Racing), Philippe Gilbert (BMC), and Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quickstep). With a team-time-trial to start the race on Wednesday (12 March) and an individual time-trial to bring it to a close the following Tuesday both Cancellara and Martin could -- and will be looking to -- grab a result.

But for all the big names at this race by comparison to Paris-Nice, it's still a shame that they both take place on the same week. I understand the cycling calendar is packed from early March right though until the seasons end, but couldn't there have been some way to fit these two in on back to back weeks. Not so some ambitious racer could do both, but so we could watch both without having to jump from one to the other.

Or perhaps as far as this is an early season race to further push the big names into the kind of shape they want to be in for the Grand Tours, so this is an early season challenge for us fans. Follow the live coverage and online updates of both races taking place at the same time for one week to get us in the shape we need to be in to following each of the Grand Tours for three full weeks!