Thor Hushovd to make his debut at the Giro

By Jean-François Quénet

In a meeting with his Crédit Agricole team last week in Paris, Thor Hushovd has decided to go for a major change in his racing program in 2007. After his usual post-Paris-Roubaix break, he'll resume racing in the Giro d'Italia on May 12. He has never taken part in the Giro yet.

"I realized that I never got the opportunity to race against the world's best sprinters at the Four Days of Dunkirk, the Tour of Catalunya and the Dauphiné, that's why I want to give a try to the Giro in my lead up to the Tour de France," said Hushovd, who has never raced the Giro.

Three's no plan for now on whether or not he intends to finish the Giro, but his Crédit Agricole team has also scheduled the Dauphiné and Eindhoven TTT for him before the Tour de France. For the general classification, the French outfit has decided to give their team leader Pietro Caucchioli the possibility to return to the Giro, where he came 3rd in 2002, prior to target a top 10 in Paris in July.