Tirreno-Adriatico, Milano-Tornio invites announced

RCS Sport confirmed the stages and teams for the 42nd Tirreno-Adriatico today. Eighteen ProTour teams and four wildcards will take part in the seven stage event starting on March 14. Following the selection model for the Giro d'Italia, not all ProTour teams will be required to start, and defending champion Thomas Dekker's Rabobank team has been given the opportunity to decline the invitation.

Tirreno-Adriatico stages
Stage 1, March 14, Civitavecchia - Civitavecchia, 160 km
Stage 2, March 15, Civitavecchia - Marsciano, 202 km
Stage 3, March 16, Marsciano - Macerata, 213 km
Stage 4, March 17, Pievebovigliana - Offagna, 161 km
Stage 5, March 18, Civitanova Marche - Civitanova Marche Alta TT, 20.5 km
Stage 6, March 19, San Benedetto del Tronto - San Giacomo Monti della Laga, 164 km
Stage 7, March 20, Civitella del Tronto - San Benedetto del Tronto, 177 km

RCS also announced teams for the oldest race on the Italian calendar, Milano-Torino, which is not a ProTour event. First run in 1876, the 92nd edition will consist of 18 teams of 10 riders each. The race will retain its classic 199 kilometre parcours, where last year Igor Astarloa prevailed ahead of Franco Pellizotti and Mirko Celestino. Astarloa and Celestino are now teammates on Milram, one of nine ProTour teams to get the nod for Milano-Torino.

Teams for Milano-Torino: Ag2r Prévoyance (Fra), Cofidis (Fra), Lampre-Fondital (Ita), Liquigas (Ita), Quickstep-Innergetic (Bel), Saunier Duval-Prodir (Spa), Team CSC (Dan), Milram (Ita), T-Mobile (Ger), Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo (Ita), Barloworld (GBr), Ceramica Flaminia (Ita), Ceramica Panaria-Navigare (Irl), OTC Doors-Lauretana (Ita), Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Selle Italia (Ven), Team LPR (Swi), Tenax-Salmilano (Irl) and Tinkoff Credit Systems (Ita)