Joaquim Rodriguez and Alexandr Kolobnev will lead Katusha in the classics. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Giro d'Italia organisers RCS Sport announced today that Team Katusha will take part in this year's edition of the Corsa Rosa, the 23rd team to receive an invitation.
Team Katusha was initially denied a WorldTour licence by the UCI for the 2013 season, but after appealing the UCI's decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the court ruled in Katusha's favour on February 15 and three days later the UCI granted the Russian team its WorldTour licence and subsequently re-wrote its own rules which had previously capped the number of WorldTour teams at 18.
The Giro d'Italia organisers, however, in the interim granted four wild card invitations on January 8 to Pro Continental Teams Androni Giocattoli, Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox, Colombia and Vini Fantini-Selle Italia who would line-up with the 18 automatically invited WorldTour squads, of which Team Katusha was not a part.
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Rather than un-invite a wild card selecton, on April 2 the UCI granted an exemption to the Giro d'Italia regarding the cap of 200 riders in road races, so that a total of 207 riders representing 19 WorldTour and four Pro Continental teams could compete.
2013 Giro d'Italia teams:
WorldTour Ag2r La Mondiale (Fra) Astana Pro Team (Kaz) Blanco Pro Cycling Team (Ned) BMC Racing Team (USA) Cannondale (Ita) Euskaltel – Euskadi (Spa) FDJ (Fra) Garmin – Sharp (USA) Katusha (Rus) Lampre – Merida (Ita) Lotto Belisol (Bel) Movistar Team (Spa) Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team (Bel) Orica - GreenEdge (Aus) RadioShack Leopard (Lux) Sky Procycling (GBr) Team Argos – Shimano (Ned) Team Saxo - Tinkoff (Den) Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team (Ned)
Pro Continental Androni Giocattoli – Venezuela (Ita) Bardiani Valvole – CSF Inox (Ita) Colombia (Col) Vini Fantini – Selle Italia (Ita)
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