Alberto Contador's Saxo Bank-Sungard squad highlights the list of 23 teams invited to race the Giro d'Italia.

Contador plans to make the 2011 Giro d'Italia his first major three-week tour since the Spanish cycling federation cleared the Tour de France champion of doping.

The Lance Armstrong-backed RadioShack squad was also invited Monday, as was the Dutch team Vacansoleil-DCM, despite recent doping scandals involving two of its riders - Riccardo Ricco and Ezequiel Mosquera.

Armstrong clashed with race director Angelo Zomegnan when he raced his only Giro in 2009, but both Team RadioShack and Team Vacansoleil are UCI Pro Teams that gain automatic invites.

There will be 207 riders in the May 7-29 Giro d'Italia 2011, with organizers receiving permission from the UCI to exceed the regulatory 200-rider limit. In exchange, RCS Sport says it is open to collaborating with the UCI on doping inquiries.

Beginning in Turin and ending in Milan, this year's race celebrates the 150th anniversary of Italy's unification.

Each team can field nine riders and will have to supply a list of 12 possible entrants by April 7.

The 23 teams invited to the 2011 Giro d'Italia are:
AG2R La Mondiale (Fra)
Team BMC Racing (Usa)
Euskaltel-Euskadi (Spa)
Team HTC-HighRoad (Usa)
Team Katusha (Rus)
Lampre-LSD (Ita)
Leopard-Trek (Lux)
Liquigas-Cannondale (Ita)
Team Movistar (Spa)
Team Omega Pharma-Lotto (Bel)
Team Astana (Kaz)
QuickStep Cycling Team (Bel)
Team Rabobank (Ned)
Team Saxo Bank-SunGard (Dan)
Sky Pro Cycling (GB)
Team Garmin-Cervelo (Usa)
Team RadioShack (Usa)
Vacansoleil-DCM (Ned)
Acqua & Sapone (Ita)
Androni Giocattoli (Ita)
Colnago-CSF (Ita)
Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli (GB)
Team Geox-TMC (Spa)

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