Houle at Giro del Trentino alongside Wiggins, Evans and Basso

Tuesday sees the start of the 2.HC-rated Giro del Trentino, the 38th edition of the short stage race which often serves as a proving ground for the Giro d’Italia just under three weeks later.

Last year’s champion Vincenzo Nibali (Italy/Astana) is busy in the Ardennes Classics as he keeps his eyes on the Tour de France, so 2011 champion Michele Scarponi (Italy) will be Astana’s captain.

Scarponi will have plenty of rivals to keep wary of, like Bradley Wiggins (Sky), 2009 winner Ivan Basso (Italy/Cannondale), and Cadel Evans (Australia/BMC). Spaniard Igor Anton gets his first chance at being Movistar’s protected man. The sole Canadian at the race, Hugo Houle, recovered from completing Paris-Roubaix, will be working for Ag2r’s Italian captain, Domenico Pozzovivo, winner of the 2012 edition.

Men from the Pro Continental teams who’ll be looking to make an impression are Stefano Pirazzi (Bardiani-CSF), who picked up last year’s Giro d’Italia mountains jersey, and Matteo Rabottini (Neri Sottoli), who won the blue climber’s jersey in the 2012 Giro d’Italia.

Pirazzi and Rabottini – not to mention the entire Team Colombia – will be heartened by the summit finishes in this year’s race. After a 14.3-km team time trial on stage one, the three remaining stages end with climbs. Friday’s final stage will conclude on the HC Monte Bondone, 18-km of climbing with an average grade of 8%.