With no clear leader, EF Education-EasyPost's Giro squad are going all out for stage wins

EF Education-EasyPost were the last of the 23 Giro teams to name their eight-man squad. The American team already confirmed earlier this week that they will race in a green kit — but which riders will be wearing it?

The team, who normally ride in pink but switch kits each Giro to avoid clashing with the maglia rosa, include one Dutchman in their line-up: Jardi van der Lee. He and his seven teammates share a single stated objective: "Win stages," as the team put it in a press release.

For the sprint stages — including the opening day — EF have a fast man in 22-year-old Estonian Madis Mihkels. He will not have much of a dedicated lead-out train behind him, as the remaining riders are essentially free to pursue their own stage opportunities on other days.

Michael Valgren and Samuele Battistella may still offer some support on sprint days, though in hilly terrain both are dangerous for their own results. Battistella arrived at the race in strong form after the Settimana Coppi e Bartali; Valgren won a stage at Tirreno-Adriatico.

"I'm going all-in for a stage win," said Valgren. "I've prepared very well and I'm in better shape than two years ago, so I think I can win. The win at Tirreno finally gave me that feeling again and I want it once more. That's my motivation — I want a stage win in a Grand Tour on my palmares. I've earned that."

For the highest mountain stages, Jefferson Cepeda is the clear candidate, following Richard Carapaz's failure to recover in time for the Giro. The Ecuadorian impressed at the Tour de Romandie and Tour of the Alps.

Darren Rafferty also raced in the Alps and wore the mountains jersey there for seven days. He too can be expected to go for breakaways. "It's strange to race without Carapaz — the last two Grand Tours we both rode in support of his classification. Now I'm hoping for my own chances, and I'll grab them with both hands."

Markel Beloki lines up for his second Grand Tour at just 20 years old, following the 2025 Vuelta a España. A result just outside the top finishers at the Tour of the Basque Country rounded off his pre-Giro programme. Now he has to be at his absolute best. "A day in the breakaway on a hard stage would be perfect for me."

What Van der Lee can produce remains to be seen. The Dutchman finished ninth at the Coppi e Bartali, but had a fairly anonymous Ardennes campaign in the spring.