Three to watch

Stefano Zanatta

After a decade in the pro peloton, riding nine Giri d’Italia and four Tours de France, he retired in 1995 and stepped seamlessly into the role of directeur sportif. He learned his trade under the legendary Giancarlo Ferretti and now, aged 50, he’s embarking on his 10th season with Cannondale.

Who are his three to watch?

“If I were to choose one from Cannondale it would be Matej Mohorič, from Slovenia. He was junior world champion in 2012 and again as an U23 last year in Florence. That’s pretty impressive when you consider that he was still only 18. He climbs beautifully and his recovery is already very good. You can see that he already reads a race extremely well and he’s really serious about being a rider. It’s very early days but logic suggests he’ll become a very good stage racer.” “The other one I’d look at is an Italian, Luca Wackerman from Lampre-Merida. He’s not perhaps as precocious as Mohorič, but he’s a pretty classy bike rider. If he matures physically and stays out of harm’s way I think he can become a very useful Classics rider. He can defend himself on medium-length climbs and he’s a decent finisher. He’s 22 now but he’s just starting to find his feet at this level.” “Beyond those two, the one that everybody talks about is Caleb Ewan. I haven’t seen so much of him but they tell me he’s already a brilliant sprinter.”