Omega Pharma-Lotto team manager Marc Sergeant has selected the following nine riders to represent the team in the 2010 Giro d'Italia/Tour of Italy.

Jan Bakelants
Adam Blythe (Gbr)
Francis De Greef
Michiel Elijzen (Ned)
Olivier Kaisen
Sebastian Lang (Ger)
Matthew Lloyd (Aus)
Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa)
Charles Wegelius (Gbr)

The team expects that the roster, which includes young talents mixed with experienced riders, will generate some interesting results for the team. The team's roster does, however, look rather unimpressive after World Champion Cadel Evans' move to Team BMC Racing.

For Adam Blythe, Michiel Elijzen and Jan Bakelants, the Giro will be the baptism of fire.

An ex-winner of Tour de l'Avenir, Bakelants has real ambitions in the great stage races. The team intends to provide him with opportunities to put his talent to the test in the Giro d'Italia.

Adam was good in the top classics, he will continue his schooling during the Giro. He might give it a shot in some sprint finishes.

Because the 2010 Giro d'Italia starts in Amsterdam and the first three stages are ridden in the Netherlands, Michiel Elijzen will have big ambitions at the start of the race - not least in the Giro prologue in Amsterdam.

Francis De Greef has already raced excellently in the Giro. This year, his goal is to win one mountain stage. He is a climber as is Matthew Lloyd and both of them will be useful support for Daniel Moreno in the important GC stages.

Spanish Moreno has this year chosen the Giro d'Italia - Tour de France combination rather than his national Vuelta. The decision to favour the Tour of Italy over the Vuelta was influenced by the hard mountaineous finishing week which could help him obtain a good result in the final overall rankings.

"In Sebastian Lang, Olivier Kaisen and Charles Wegelius, we have three experienced great tour riders. Sebastian and Olivier are always ready to pull, and our Brit intends to continue on the line of his strong Tour of Romandie," commented Team Omega Pharma-Lotto's Marc Sergeant.