Giro d'Italia: Team Sky's GB riders Swift and Kennaugh in race

Ben Swift and Peter Kennaugh will be Team Sky's British riders at the Giro d'Italia after Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome were, as expected, left out of their nine-man squad.

Froome is preparing for the defence of his Tour de France title in July, while Wiggins is racing in California.

Belfast hosts the start on 9 May with two stages in Northern Ireland and one crossing into the Republic of Ireland.

The 21-stage race then heads to Italy and finishes in Trieste on 1 June.

Last week, British road race champion Mark Cavendish said he would also miss the Giro.

The Manxman, who rides for the Omega Pharma-Quick-Step team, will instead ride the tours of Turkey, California and Switzerland in preparation for the Tour de France.

Team Sky team for the 2014 Giro d'Italia: Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor), Dario Cataldo (Ita), Philip Deignan (Ire), Bernhard Eisel (Aut), Sebastian Henao (Col), Pete Kennaugh (GB), Salvatore Puccio (Ita), Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr), Ben Swift (GB)