Elia Viviani is headed to Livigno in the Italian Alps for a month of high-altitude training in preparation for the Milan-San Remo event on August 8.

Over the past few days, Viviani trained with several of his Cofidis teammates on the Côte d'Azur in southern France, studying lead-out trains and sprints and the opening stages of the Tour de France around Nice.

Elia Viviani trained with his brother Attilio, the reigning European champion, trusted lead-out members Fabio Sabatini and Simone Conssoni, and fellow sprinters Christophe Laporte and Marco Mathis.

"It was good to be with the team. Viviani, who had tended to stay at home, told La Gazzetta dello Sport (open in new tab).

Viviani will kick off his reconditioned season at Route d'Occitanie in southwestern France before targeting Milan-San Remo. He joins Laporte and GC rider Guillaume Martin in the Cofidis lineup for the Tour de France, but has yet to make a final decision on whether to target the October classics or the Giro d'Italia sprint.

"Training specifically for the lead-out train and sprint, and training to ride Milan-San Remo, especially Poggio, at race pace, August 8 is going to be a crazy race. It's day 5 of the race for me, and probably for everyone else as well. Physical condition and preparation will be very important. If I'm out of shape, I won't be able to catch up."

The Italian summer arrives over the weekend, with temperatures in the coastal areas topping 30°C (86°F), and similar if not higher temperatures are expected for all races in August.

"The heat can help the sprinters. We will see some spectacular racing," Viviani predicted.

Viviani will stay in Trepalle, a small village near Livigno at 2,069 meters above sea level, and spend nearly a month in Comune, the highest elevation in Italy.

"After training at high altitude for the circuit, I found that high altitude training helps me. It's the last part of my training and in two weeks some of the team will join me and work with me. I'm going to practice moto-pacing on the road and on the track for the next 10 days before my first race."

Viviani is still winless in his debut season with Cofidis after transferring from Detunink-Quick Step. Cofidis is hoping that Viviani can put an end to the French team's long struggles in the Tour de France. Cofidis last won the Tour de France in 2008, when Sylvain Chavanel won in Montluçon.

"My priority this year is the Tour because I am the leader of the French team, Cofidis. But I want to return to the Giro in the spirit of 2018: full throttle from start to finish, with Maglia Ciclamino on my shoulders."