Saxo Bank denies Garzelli signing

Team Saxo Bank has denied that Stefano Garzelli will join the Danish team. It had been reported earlier this week that the former Giro d'Italia winner would sign with Saxo Bank in the spring.

“I can deny it,” Saxo Bank spokesman Anders Damgaard told Ekstrabladet.dk. “There is absolutely nothing to the story.”

Earlier this week the Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Garzelli would remain with his current team Acqua & Sapone through Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo, then sign with Saxo Bank to ride the Giro d'Italia. Both his agent and Acqua & Sapone have also denied the story.

Garzelli, 38, won the Giro in 2000. He said that he might retire this year after it was announed that his team did not receive a wildcard invitation.

One reason that Garzelli will not join Saxo Bank is that the Danish team has no place for another veteran. It currently has 29 riders, and a WorldTour team may have 30 riders, if two of them are neo-professionals. Saxo Bank has only one neo, Rafal Majka, so if it hires a 30th rider, it would also have to be another neo.

Coincidentally, the 22-year-old Majka has been named to lead Saxo Bank at this year's Giro. The Polish climber, in his second year with the team, made his Grand Tour debut at last year's Vuelta a Espana.