Quick Step, Footon-Servetto and Androni announce Giro squads

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Italians will lead the Quick Step, Footon Servetto and Androni Giocattoli squads in the Giro d'Italia, with Matteo Tosatto, Eros Capecchi, and Michele Scarponi heading up their respective teams. Team Katusha announced a change n its line-up, adding Vladimir Karpets.

Quick Step's team is made up of five nationalities, with only one Belgian, sprinter Wouter Weylandt. Tosatto won a mountain stage in the Giro in 2001. Two further veterans will be Marco Velo, in his 12th Giro, and Addy Engels, in his eighth Giro, more than any other Dutch rider.

They will be supported by Dario Cataldo, Mauro Facci, Francesco Reda, Jerome Pineau, and Branislau Samoilau.

“Our team is a mix of veteran athletes and young athletes hungry to prove their worth,” said Directeur Sportif Davide Bramati. “In the stages dedicated to sprinters, the guys will race n support of Wouter Weylandt. In the other stages we will try to attack. The goal of the team is to make the most out of timely opportunities and to try to win a stage.”

Androni Giocattoli will be led by Michele Scarponi, who won two stages in last year's Giro. The Italian team's squad will feature three South Americans: Colombian Jose Serpa and Venezuelans Carlos Ochoa and Jackson Rodriguez.

Francesco Ginanni was forced off the squad because he is suffering from severe allergies. The rest of the squad consists of Leonardo Bertagnoli, Alessandro Bertolini, Alberto Loddo, Rubens Bertogliati and Cameron Wurf.

Footon-Servetto is going with a very young team, which averages only 25 years old. Giampolo Cheula is the eldest at 30, with Austrian Matthias Brändle only 20. Directeur Sportif Stefano Zanini is looking to another youngster, 23-year-old Capecchi, who, he said, “can perform at a high level. In Romandie he showed that he is good condition and we believe and hope that this is the time to offer more and show what he can actually do.”

The team will look to Austrians Brändle and Markus Eibegger in the mountains, with Michele Merlo going for the sprints.

They will be supported by Ermano Capelli, Marco Corti, Iban Mayoz and Martin Pedersen.

Team Katusha announced a change to its line-up, with young Italian Marco Bandiera making way for Vladimir Karpets. The Russian asked the team to let him ride in light of his strong performance at the Tour de Romandie, where he placed fifth overall.