Stage 4 of Tirreno-Adriatico (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

If it seems like it's only been three days since the last Recon Ride race preview, that's because it's only been three days since the last Recon Ride race preview – but with good reason, as Tirreno-Adriatico is about to get underway.

Even running concurrently with Paris-Nice in France, the race has managed to attract plenty of marquee names to Italy this week for a seven-day trek across the country from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Adriatic Sea.

Nairo Quintana, Vincenzo Nibali and Fabio Aru are among the GC favourites who will hope to stay consistent through the opening team time trial, the brutal Terminillo climb at the end of the fourth stage and the individual time trial that closes out the race.

Greg Van Avermaet, the surprise winner in a rain-shortened 2016 edition of the race, may have a tough time defending his overall title but he'll make the start as a contender for stage victories alongside Mark Cavendish, Caleb Ewan, Fernando Gaviria and Peter Sagan.

The Cyclingnews Podcast reviews the parcours and the potential protagonists ahead of the event in the latest Recon Ride pre-race show.

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