Elia Viviani had been marking a date in his 2024 diary for several years.

The Italian returned to the Ineos Grenadiers in 2022 with the 2024 Paris Olympics in mind.

This year, Viviani was selected to represent the Olympics for the fourth time in his career and is preparing to compete.

Viviani is competing in his specialty events, the Omnium and Madison track events, as well as training for the Team Pursuit. Italy is a strong contender for gold in the men's TP.

"The goal is definitely to try again for gold. The Omnium is an important day for me, August 8 is that day in my season," Viviani told Cycling News at the Tour Down Under, which kicked off his 2024 World Tour campaign. Olympic years are always special. As the Games get closer, you feel that special moment coming."

"It's a very special moment.

The 34-year-old knows success on the track. He won gold in the omnium at the Rio Games and bronze in Tokyo.

One doesn't have to look very far to find out who Viviani believes will be his biggest rival in the men's omnium. It goes without saying that the two do not talk track tactics on the Ineos Grenadiers team bus.

"But it's good to have teammates as rivals," Viviani said.

The Italian believes that GB's performance at the recent European Track Championships, where it won its first men's TP gold medal in nine years, is indicative of the shape of things to come when it comes to rivals. Of Hayter in particular, he said, "I think Ethan is an athlete who is in great shape and hard to keep up with. Certainly Ethan is the guy to beat."

Winning track gold at the Olympics is one of the reasons Vivian has chosen to start her 2024 campaign in Australia.

Viviani struggled in the heat on the first stage of the Tour Down Under, but then joined the sprint finish mix, finishing second behind Sam Welsford (Beulah Hansgrohe) on stage 3. The next day, Ineos Grenadier was unable to catch the leadout of Beulah Hansgrohe, but it was a good effort. Viviani will compete in the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in Victoria over the weekend before returning to Adelaide to compete in the UCI Track Nations Cup.

"I work really hard in the winter and even in my best season I have never dominated (the Tour Down Under). One stage win is my best Tour Down Under record, so I'm not worried," he said of his performance in South Australia.

"Cadel Evans is one of my favorite races. Every time I've participated I've been in contention for the win and always in the top 10. So I'm really focused."

In South Australia, the team relied on the power of Filippo Ganna and hotshot teenager Josh Tarling, as well as the expertise of veteran Ben Swift.

While the Olympics are Viviani's main goal for 2024, he also aims to increase his win total and be selected for the Giro d'Italia.

"Our race program doesn't match the other athletes here," he said.

"My race program is the UAE (Tour), followed by the Volta a Catalunya and the Tour of Romandie. As we all know, the team is super strong and we want to put in a strong performance in the Giro.

"So our first goal is to stay in the Giro selection and after the Giro we will focus on the Olympics.

"I'm going to the UAE (Tour) with Swifty. He is the same age as me and we have been together for many years in the peloton. He will help me a lot this year."