Lance Armstrong's Team RadioShack Left Out of 2010 Giro d'Italia Field
Lance Armstrong's RadioShack was left off the list of 22 squads invited to the Giro d'Italia on Monday. Armstrong had already announced that he would not compete in the May 8-30 race, but there was still a possibility his team could enter with other riders.
Lance Armstrong's Team RadioShack was left off the list of 22 squads invited to the Giro d'Italia on Monday.
Armstrong had already announced that he would not compete in the May 8-30 race, but there was still a possibility his team could enter with other riders.
RadioShack apparently never intended to the race the Giro, though, according to what Armstrong wrote on his Twitter account Monday: "Interesting 2 read that @teamradioshack not selected 4 the Giro. Unrelated - guess they got our letter Jan 23 saying we wouldn't be coming."
Armstrong ended up on bad terms with Giro organizers after helping arrange a rider protest during the Milan stage of last year's race, in which the seven-time Tour de France winner finished 12th.
Instead, Armstrong is slated to ride the 2010 Tour of California in May.
Giro d'Italia Organizers said they received requests from 31 teams.
Armstrong's former team, Astana, was invited even though two-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador - who also won the 2008 Giro - is not expected to participate.
Riccardo Ricco's Ceramica Flaminia team was announced as a reserve squad, which could take the place of one of the 22 selected teams if organizers deem a switch is necessary before the race starts.
Ricco recently finished his 20-month ban for doping at the 2008 Tour de France and his first race back will be the five-day Coppi & Bartali event in Italy this week.
World champion Cadel Evans' BMC Racing Team was invited, as was Rabobank, which features defending champion Denis Menchov and Saturday's 2010 Milan-San Remo winner, Oscar Freire (visit our videos section for video highlights from the 2010 Milan-San Remo).
Also included was Sky with British standout Bradley Wiggins, and the Cervelo TestTeam squad with former Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre and other great riders.
Teams invited to the 2010 Giro d'Italia:
Acqua & Sapone, AG2R, Androni Giocattoli, Astana, Bouygues Telecom, BMC, Caisse d'Epargne, Cervelo, Colnago, Cofidis, Footon, Garmin, Lampre, Liquigas, Omega, Quick Step, Rabobank, Sky, Columbia, Katusha, Milram, Saxo Bank.
Reserve Teams:
Carmiooro, Ceramica Flaminia, De Rosa, ISD, Skil-Shimano, Vacansoleil
