Barloworld finalises Giro picks

Team Barloworld selected its final team for the 2008 Giro d'Italia which will take place from May 10 to June 1. The team had previously announced a sort of long team for the Italian Grand Tour.

Climbing ace Mauricio Soler, who was the King of the Mountains winner at the 2007 Tour de France, will captain the squad. Christian Pfannberger will be one of the team's top riders. The 2008 Giro del Capo winner has proved himself in strong form with a recent fifth place finish this weekend at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and a ninth place at La Flèche Wallonne.

"We are feeling very confident, our cyclists are in top form and are ready to take on this major Grand Tour of 2008, especially as a build-up to the Tour de France," said Claudio Corti, team manager.

Pfannberger will be joined by GP Pino Cerami winner Patrick Calcagni and a stage winner at the KBC-Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde Enrico Gasparotto.

Barloworld for the Giro d'Italia: Patrick Calcagni, Enrico Gasparotto, Mauricio Soler, Francesco Bellotti, Stephen Cummings, Geraint Thomas, Felix Cárdenas and Carlo Scognamiglio. The team's reserve riders are John-Lee Augustyn and Giampaolo Cheula.