Giro 2008 team talk 2 - updated

Team news on the eve of the 2008 Giro d'Italia, two riders are out and replaced - Giro Chat One

AFP report: Argentinian Ariel Maximiliano Richeze, who rides for CSF, tested positive for doping last month and has been withdrawn from the Tour of Italy, his team announced Friday.

Richeze tested positive for an anabolic steroid during his victory in the fourth stage of the Circuit de la Sarthe on April 11 in the French city of Le Mans. He went on to win the seventh stage of the Tour of Turkey on April 20.

His withdrawal on the eve of the Giro means CSF will join the peloton with just eight riders.

"I received a communication from the International Cycling Union this afternoon," said CSF sporting director Bruno Reverberi.

"I haven't spoken to the rider," he added. "From what they told me, it's more or less the same product (stanozolol) as was used by Ben Johnson (who was disqualified after winning the 100m in the 1988 Olympic Games).

"Positive for a product of this type means the door." The 25-year-old Richeze, who made his professional debut in 2006 for Reverberi's team, then called Panaria, last year finished second in two Giro stages.

Astana - (Giro Teams and Stages)

One day before the start of the Giro d’Italia, Steve Morabito joins the team in Palermo. The Swiss rider will replace Spanish rider Benjamin Noval. Noval, who earlier in the week already took Dmitry Muravyev’s spot in the team, suffers from enterocolitis, an intestinal infection. The roommate of Alberto Contador became sick on Wednesday night, could not eat and has no reserves to start in a demanding race as the Tour of Italy.

“We waited as long as possible to take a decision”, comments Team Director Sean Yates. “Friday 10 AM was our deadline. We then had to register the team. Benjamin did a test this morning. The result was negative. A team time trial is such a demanding, hard discipline. It is not safe to let him be part of the team. We hope Steve Morabito arrives in time. Steve has the right condition. He proved that already in the Tour de Romandie, where he was one of the best helpers for overall winner Andreas Klöden.”

David Arroyo is out of the Giro d'Italia after breaking his arm in a crash during training.

"Four riders of the team, David Arroyo, Vladimir Karpets, Fran Perez and Joaquim Rodriguez were the victims of a crash this morning when they were coming back from a long training session," the Caisse d'Epargne team said.

"Arroyo has a fractured arm and will not be able to take the start of the Italian race." France's Mathieu Perget. takes his place.

During Giro d'Italia, Lampre's cyclists will be stars for a program managed by sponsor Garmin.

Garmin is Lampre's sponsor and supplier of cyclo computers with Gps and it's sponsor of Giro d'Italia too: so, it set to offer to all bike lovers the chance to download from internet (www.garmin.it/giro/index.html) what is recorded by cyclo computers of a rider in Giro d'Italia.

At the end of every stage, the info from Garmin Edge related to Lampre's athletes race will be uploaded.

Team Milram will be led by Erik Zabel, who agreed to start at short notice and take over the captain's role when Alessandro Petacchi had to cancel his appearance. Next to the sprinter, two other Germans will be there, making their debut in the Giro – 38 year-old Enrico Poitschke and 26 year-old Markus Eichler.

"The Giro is a further big highlight for me, after I rode the Tour de France last year,“ Poitschke said. "I take this challenge very seriously and will support our captain Erik Zabel, in the sprints as best I can. If I have the chance to get into an escape group, I will try to get a good result for myself.“

Markus Eichler is also looking forward to his first Giro."I have a hard spring with many Classics behind me. So I have to see that I survive the three weeks. But if in addition to my role as a helper, I see the chance to do something for myself, I will take that chance.“

AG2R are aiming for a top ten placing on GC, chiefly with Tadej Valjavec Barloworld say that "The team will have to concentrate around him to protect him".. The team will also be looking to create and be watchful of breaks. "Our team are Fighters" and Laurent Mangel, Yuriy Krivtsov and Blaise Sonnery have nothing to lose and all to prove on this Giro". For the sprints Alexander Usov will lead and the main key of the team is Rinaldo Nocentini, who has legitimate ambitions on this Giro even though he knows that Tadej Valjavec will be the leader.

Nocentini,said; "I feel well, I did the Ardennes classics and I think that my condition is again good. Here, I will try to win at least a stage, if the circumstances work out I would be very interested in general classification. But Tadej Valjavec is clearly the leader of the team".

The Slipstream/Chipotle H3O team have hiog hopes of doing well especillay as there are four time trial stages (three individual and one team). "The Giro is particularly appealing to the team. Already a specialist in the discipline, look for the Argyle to set the standard for the team time trial on the opening stage. The three individual time trials will give David, Dave and also Ryder and Christian a chance to turn the tifosis heads."

The first time a rider takes part in the Giro d’Italia is always an emotional moment and so Saturday will be a big day for Team Barloworld’s Christian Pfannberger. “It’s the first time I ride a major three-week stage race and so I’m really excited and little bit emotional,” he said.

Pfannberger has become well known in the last few weeks thanks to his impressive rides in the Ardennes classics. He was sixth in the Amstel Gold Race, ninth in Fleche-Wallonne and fifth in Liege-Bastogne Liege. He has been the revelation at Team Barloworld in the first part of the season.

He is riding his first Giro but the current Austrian national champion is not scared of what awaits him. He’s clearly motivated and knows he can do well. He’s is not promising a stage win but knows his results in the classics have shown his determination to do well: “I really want to show everybody what I can do!”

Pfannberger has not had a lot of time to study the route of the Giro but has already worked things out. “The last week is definitely the most difficult part but I’ve also noted that there are some hilly stages in the first ten days where I can perhaps do something.”

Pfannberger will be a key rider in the Barloworld team and also help Mauricio Soler who will be team leader for the overall classification of the Giro. “Both me and the team hope Mauricio can finish in the top three and perhaps even win it. We’re all going to give it everything to help him.”