Quick-Step can floor rivals and claim opening stage win

Tirreno-Adriatico: stage one
Eurosport 2, 1pm Wednesday
Paris-Nice: stage four
Eurosport 1, 2.30pm Wednesday

The coming few days should give punters an indication of the form of some of this summer's Grand Tour contenders with the start of Tirreno-Adriatico and continuation of Paris-Nice on Wednesday.

Colombian ace Nairo Quintana heads a stellar cast for the week-long Tirreno-Adriatico which begins with a 22km team time-trial in Camaiore on the Tuscan coast.

His Movistar team are 5-1 third-favourites for the stage but this should be a straight shootout between the two previous world team time-trial champions, BMC and Quick-Step Floors.

BMC pipped the Belgian outfit by two seconds in a similar opening to last year's Race of the two Seas but at 9-2 reigning world champions Quick-Step look a cracking each-way wager with Paddy Power, who offer a quarter the odds for the first three teams, to gain their revenge.

Wind and rain have battered the peloton over the first three stages of Paris-Nice but calmer conditions are expected for stage four on Wednesday afternoon.

The 14.5km time-trial from Beaujeu to Mont-Brouilly should see a re-ordering of the general classification before the riders enter the mountains on Friday.

Recommendation
Quick-Step Floors to win stage one of Tirreno-Adriatico
1pt each-way 9-2 Paddy Power