Niamh Fisher-Black Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Nelson cyclist Niamh Fisher-Black has been given her first big assignment with her Dutch Pro outfit Team SD Worx.
Fisher-Black will be the lead rider for the women's Giro d'Italia which starts this weekend.
Team SD Worx has named a young lineup for the Giro Donne with their experienced trio of Demi Vollering, Lotte Kopecky and Marlen Reusser not included.
Team sports director Anna va der Breggen says the goals are multiple.
"On the one hand, Team SD Worx wants to go for stage wins, and with Niamh Fisher-Black it also hopes for a good final ranking in the general classification.
Niamh Fisher-Black Photo: PHOTOSPORT
"Niamh can also aim for a stage, but her primary scope will be a good classification."
22 year old Fisher-Black joined Team SD Worx in 2021.
She's coming off a stage win at last weeks Tour of Switzerland, her first World Tour stage victory.
"I am aiming for a good final classification," she told her team.
"This stage race is best suited to me. It is always a challenging course with quite a lot of altimeters.
"After my stage win in the Tour of Switzerland, I feel I have made strides.
"For my development, it is important that now, for the first time, I also really make a goal of a final classification in a big tour myself.
"Last year I finished fifth in the Giro. I learned a lot there. Not only physically, but also mentally. Now I want to enter the Giro with the pressure for someone who wants to contend the general classification. This is good for my development."
"We are coming to the start with a nice team. We have a lot of different cards to play. It will be a matter of finding a good balance between the different goals."
The Giro Donne starts Friday night (NZ time) and runs over nine stages.