Cav backed by Brits at Gir

The 26-year-old world road champion will make his fourth appearance in Italy’s biggest bike race and will be looking to add to his tally of seven stage wins.

Bernhard Eisel, Juan Antonio Flecha, Sergio Henao and Rigoberto Uran complete Team Sky’s squad for the 95th edition of the race.

Cavendish said: "We’ve got a good squad to go and win stages. Geraint, Pete and Swifty have just come off the track so they should have that explosive power which will be important in the first week, and the rest of the team have all done well in the Classics.

"We want to win the team time trial as well and hopefully that will get us the pink jersey. If we could achieve that it would be a massive honour for the team.

"It should be a really good three weeks because we’re all friends and have a good understanding on the road. The Tour de Romandie has allowed me to get some miles in the legs so come the start in Denmark I’ll be raring to go."

Colombian climber Uran will be the team's GC hope according to sports director Steven de Jongh.

He said: "Once the race hits the mountains Rigoberto and Sergio will become our focus and if Rigo can continue the good form he showed over the spring then he is more than capable of achieving a high placing in the General Classification."

The action gets under way in the Danish town of Herning next Saturday and culminates in Milan on Sunday 27 May.