Milan-San Remo peloton to aid Japan relief efforts

The riders of the 102nd Milan-San Remo will be giving up their jerseys in a bid to raise money to help survivors of the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

The jersey of Japanese champion Takashi Miyazawa (Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli) will be auctioned alongside those of Thor Hushovd and Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Cervélo), Fabian Cancellara (Leopard Trek), Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) Vincenzo Nibali and Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Cannondale), Filippo Pozzato (Katusha), Michele Scarponi and Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-ISD), Juan Antonio Flecha (Team Sky) and Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) as well as many others who are not competing in the Italian Monument.

The auction will benefit a charity chosen by Miyazawa and can be found at www.all1sport.com.

In the USA, the Peanut Butter & Co./Twenty12 team is committing any prize money won by the team at the upcoming San Dimas Stage Race in California to relief efforts.

The team is calling for all of the participating men's and women's squads to come together and donate the prize purse as well. The total prize list for the race is $10,000.

"If both pelotons agree to go all in, there could be as much as $10,000 sent to one of the charities spearheading recovery efforts in Japan," said Twenty12 racer Kristin McGrath. "We feel very blessed to be able to race our bikes and then go home to warm beds and hot food. As individuals, it is hard to make a big difference, but as a group, we have the opportunity to make a bigger difference."

The team will also set up a Red Cross page for any additional donations.