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The centenary edition of the Giro d'Italia starts today, a team time trial on the Lido in Venice.

Check out Eurosport-Yahoo's men to follow and find out what they are saying ahead of the world's second biggest stage race.

Five stars:

Ivan Basso:

"I feel pressure but I am used to it. I am staying calm, I am in the condition I wanted."

Levi Leipheimer:

"I think all this talk about me being a favourite is a little bit overblown. I mean the Italians are super focused on it, and they know the Giro in and out. I don't really know the race that well."

Four stars:

Damiano Cunego

"I rode the Giro every year from 2003 until 2007 and this year will be my sixth. I feel good and relaxed ahead of this Giro but then every year is different. I have put in some good training with some long distances and long climbs."

Denis Menchov

"His motivation for the Giro is extremely high and he has prepared accordingly. He has specifically trained on the route of the long 62km time-trial," (Adri van Van Houwelingen, Rabobank directeur sportif)

Three stars:

Danilo Di Luca

"I believe I am more or less in the same condition as 2007. Yes I can fight for victory."

Carlos Sastre

"The Giro podium is the only one that I still lack from the three Grand Tours. Every time I raced it I had to work for other riders and this year I can finally compete for myself."

Gilberto Simoni

"My allies are as a team, I do not need to forge pacts in the race. And then are always (Francesco) Moser alliances on the road."

Two stars:

Lance Armstrong

"I would be disappointed if I didn't win one stage and I don't care if it's a mountain stage or a time trial. At the beginning of the year the objective was to be a contender I am not sure that still will be the case with the crash that I had about a month ago."

Stefano Garzelli

"I will have many opportunities to attack and attempt at least one success, at Faenza for example."

Marzio Bruseghin,

"I don't plan the Giro, I just cycle it. I'll try not to do worse than last year. Then it's up to Cunego, he's still the captain."

Franco Pelizzotti

"It will be decided by the team directors whether Basso or myself is the captain but the most important thing would be to win the race."

One star:

Christian Vandevelde, Tadej Valjavec, Kanstantin Siutsou, David Arroyo, Juan Mauricio Soler, Michael Rogers, Yaroslav Popovych, Michele Scarponi, Thomas Lovkvist

Giro: Saturday 14:45 LIVE on British Eurosport (SKY 410 / Virgin Media 521); Also available on your PC via the Eurosport Player - click on the link under the picture to subscribe

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