Lotte Kopecky is part of SD Volks and will lead a team of promising next-generation riders in what director Lars Boom calls a "pressure-free journey of discovery" at the Giro d'Italia Donne, whose opening prologue takes place Thursday in Sardinia.

SD Walks registered six riders, but on the eve of the competition it was confirmed that climber Anna Shackley had tested positive for COVID-19. She will be replaced by Christine Majerus.

A strong Dutch team swept the overall podium at last year's Giro Donne with Anna van der Breggen taking the overall win ahead of Ashley Moolman Passio and Demi Vollering.

This year, van der Breggen was named team director, and Moolman Passio and Vollaring opted to skip the Italian event in order to compete in the Tour de France Femme on July 24-31.

"Our plans have changed. I won't be competing in the Giro anymore," Mourman Pacio, who also won the queen stage of the Monte Matadors summit in 2021, wrote in a Twitter post.

The Giro team will be led by Kopecký, who is looking for a stage win, and the experienced Christine Majerus and Elena Cecchini, who replaced Shackley. The team also gives a chance to young players Blanca Vas, Niamh Fischer-Black, and Ronneke Uneken.

"Our team has been dominant in the Giro over the last few years and has had a lot of success. This year, however, it is not a given that we will be looking for the eventual winner. We have a group of young girls with us for whom this will be their first big Tour. For these girls, it will be a journey of discovery with no pressure. It's very liberating to race without pressure," Boom said.

Kopecký, who will also compete in the Tour de France Femme at the end of July, will focus on the 4.7km prologue in Cagliari on Thursday, followed by stage 2: Villasimius to Tortoli, stage 3: Dolgari to Olbia, stage 5: Carpi to Reggio Emilia and They will focus on the sprint days that follow: stage 5: Carpi to Reggio Emilia, and the finale, stage 10: Abano Terme to Padua.

"Lotte is our leader in this Giro. We want to go for the stage win with her. We have several chances. It has already started with the prologue and the first two stages could end in a sprint," Boom said.

"Plus, she is riding the Giro with the Tour in mind. So she can relax. So she can relax. I think she also wants to ride the double, to experience what it's like to ride two long races in a row. If she rides the Giro and gets enough rest, she might be able to do something special for the Tour de France.

"The Giro is also a chance to perfect my sprint training. The more you do those things, the better you get. Italy has all the right riders. Lotte is very fast, but Ronneke Uneken can also sprint well. We have to develop that further. With Lotte Kopecký, Ronneke Uneken, Blanca Vas, Christine Majerus, and Elena Cecchini, we have four riders who are ideal to form a sprint train."

Three decisive mountain days: stage 7: Prevalle to Passo Maniva; stage 8: Rovereto to Ardeno; and stage 9: San Michele Alladige to San Lorenzo d'Orsino.

"Niamh is one of those riders who can start a race with an open mind. She can find her potential on the uphill. If she has a bad day, that's fine. This suits her development as a rider. If the Giro becomes even tougher in the next few years, this course will become even more her course," Boom said. [Stage 4: Cesena-Cesena, Stage 6: Sarnico-Bergamo.

"Everyone has a chance to win a stage in this Giro. You can race with an open mind," Boom said.