Now that Saturday’s team time trial has sorted out the field, the peloton in the 2007 Giro d’Italia hits the road with a 205-kilometer stage from Tempio Pausania to Bosa on the island of Sardinia.

The stage offers a prime opportunity for renowned sprinters like Alessandro Petacchi, Robbie McEwen and Paolo Bettini, but the outcome is by no means a forgone conclusion. The favorites are joined in the field-sprint stakes by several impressive talents, including Thor Hushovd, Danilo Napolitano and Giro newcomer J.J. Haedo.

These and others are likely to be the names we'll see contesting field sprints and even fight for the points jersey over the next three weeks.

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ALLESSANDRO PETACCHI (I), Milram
AGE: 33
GIRO HIGHLIGHTS: Nineteen stage wins and six days in the magliarosa in past four years, but he had a blank sheet in 2006 after fracturinghis kneecap early on.
THE SKINNY: He’s had mixed results this season, but appearsto be on target to add two or three stage wins at the Giro.ROBBIE McEWEN (Aus), Predictor-Lotto
AGE: 34
GIRO HIGHLIGHTS: Eleven stage wins and one day in the maglia rosain past five years.
THE SKINNY: Only three wins so far this year, but McEwen knows howto prepare for the Giro and how to win stages.THOR HUSHOVD (N), Crédit Agricole
AGE: 29
GIRO HIGHLIGHTS: This will be his Giro debut
THE SKINNY: The one-time Tour green jersey and four-time stage winner,Hushovd has the power and finishing savvy to take at least one stage inItaly.

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PAOLO BETTINI (I), Quick Step-Innergetic
AGE: 33
GIRO HIGHLIGHTS: One stage win, four days in the maglia rosaand points winner in 2005, one stage win and points winner in 2006, 7thoverall in 1998, 38th in 2005, 44th in 1999, 56th in 2006
THE SKINNY: Bettini is a specialist at winning uphill sprints (andcompetitive in the flat finishes) and is hungry for at least one Giro stagewin in the rainbow jersey.DANILO NAPOLITANO (I), Lampre-Fondital
AGE: 26
GIRO HIGHLIGHTS: Making his Giro debut.
THE SKINNY: Napolitano is ready to step up after taking 15 stage winsat lesser stage races in the past three seasons.

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GRAEME BROWN (Aus), Rabobank
AGE: 28
GIRO HIGHLIGHTS: Six top-10 stage finishes in 2002 and 2003, but nothingsince.
THE SKINNY: Brown now has the confidence of his Rabobank team thatdoesn’t have a GC leader for the Giro.

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ROBERT FÖRSTER (G), Gerolsteiner
AGE: 29
GIRO HIGHLIGHTS: Has 10 top-10 stage finishes in the past four years,including his stage win in Milan on the final day last year.
THE SKINNY: Förster is coming to form after two second placesat April’s Circuit de la Sarthe.

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J.J. HAEDO (Arg), CSC
AGE: 25
GIRO HIGHLIGHTS: This will be his Giro debut
THE SKINNY: This fast and fearless Argentinean has all the makingsof a sprinter who can match the McEwens and Petacchis at the grand tours.In his first season with a European team, Haedo has five wins, includinga victory over Petacchi at the Tour of Cologne.

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KOLDO FERNANDEZ (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi
AGE: 25
GIRO HIGHLIGHTS: He had a 5th place on stage 6 last year on his Girodebut.
THE SKINNY: The young Spaniard beat most of the Giro sprinters thisyear to win the final stage of Tirreno-Adriatico in a hectic mass finish.