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Aussie sprinter Michael Matthews will return to the Giro d'Italia for the first time in three years to lead a strong Jayco-AlUla lineup at the 106th edition of the race, alongside Irish climber and new team signing Eddie Dunbar.
Matthews will be aiming for all-important stage victories at the Grand Tour, having previously done so on two occasions in 2014 and 2015.
Matthews last started the Giro in 2020, while racing with Team Sunweb, but was forced to withdraw from the pandemic-delayed race after nine stages following a positive COVID-19 test result.
"Three years have already passed since the last time I raced the Giro and so I am very happy to return to a race that has given me a lot of satisfaction in the past, having won stages and worn the pink jersey back in 2014 and 2015," the 32-year-old said.
"The Giro d'Italia is of course a huge race for us and it is always great lining up at such a prestigious event."
Matthews performed strongly in the 2022 season, taking home the green jersey at the Tour de Suisse in June and winning a tense Stage 14 of the Tour de France, but is yet to taste victory this season.
The Aussie's podium finish at the National Championships and green jersey success at the Tour Down Under in January were followed by a COVID-19 positive result on the eve of Milan-San Remo. He returned to racing in time for the Eschborn-Frankfurt on Monday (AEST), finishing in a respectable 14th position.
"I am eager to get back to racing," he said.
"I have had a bit of a rollercoaster of a season so far after a crash at the Tour of Flanders and having to recover from that and also being forced to stop for a while due to COVID. Now I am feeling good and like everything is back on track.
"This year's course is very demanding, but there will be some good opportunities for me for stage victories and we have a well-balanced and experienced team. It is really motivating to have a slightly different calendar this year and to return to this great Grand Tour."
Meanwhile, 26-year-old Irishman Dunbar will lead the Australian-based team's general classification ambitions during the demanding three-week race.
Dunbar will go into this year's Giro in solid form following a top-10 finish at the Tour de Romandie in April.
Having joined Jayco-AlUla following a four-year spell at Ineos Grenadiers, the Irishman last raced a Grand Tour when he made his debut at the Giro in 2019.
In addition to the two leaders in Matthews and Dunbar, the Jayco squad will consist of Italian breakaway specialist Alessandro De Marchi, Italian national champion Filippo Zana, and 2017 opening stage winner Lukas Pöstlberger. Michael Hepburn, Callum Scotson, and debutant Campbell Stewart will complete the lineup.
"As always, we are very motivated to head to Italy for the Giro d'Italia," said team directeur sportif David McPartland. "We have had a lot of success at the Giro over the years and we are planning for more again in this year's edition.
"It's a course that has everything, lots of time trial kilometres, both flat & mountainous, then some flat road stages, many intermediate stages that can go either way, long hard mountain top finishes in the Dolomites and a spectacular last stage in Rome to wrap it up.
"We are bringing a rounded squad spearheaded by Matthews who will be supported by experienced riders. The squad is completed by the two young riders in Stewart and Zana and finally by Dunbar who will be at the Giro for the mountain stages and our general classification ambitions."
