Italy Announces World's Squad: Some Big Names Snubbed

The Italian Cycling Federation has announced the riders who will represent Italy in Varese at the world championships with a few surprises. The team will be composed of Paolo Bettini, Davide Rebellin, Alessandro Ballan, Damiano Cunego, Luca Paolini, Gabriele Bosisio, Maurizio Bruseghin, Andrea Tonti and Matteo Tosatto. Some high profile stars were left off the world's team, which is sure to be a bone of contention should the Squadra Azzura fail to win the rainbow jersey.

The highest profile Italian riders left off the team are Danilo Di Luca and Daniele Bennati. Bennati, a pure sprinter, is not suited to the course in Varese, but Di Luca is a strong one day rider who excells on small steep climbs. He would have been an ideal worker for Bettini and Rebellin on race day. Perhaps his involvement with doping left him off the team.

Another rider who was left off the team that should not have been is Enricco Gasparotto. The Barloworld rider is on great form lately and is perfectly suited to the parcours in Varese. The only knock on "Gaspa" is that he sometimes wants to work for himself more than the team. Still, he should have been given a chance on home soil.

The most questionable selection for the Italians is Damiano Cunego. "Il piccolo principe" is a dangerous one day threat, but he has had a less than stellar second half of the season, starting with the Tour de France. If he is able to get his head back into racing he may be an asset, but lately he has seemed lost mentally on the bike.

Andrea Tonti and Matteo Tosatto are lesser known riders, but each will be very valuable in helping Bettini to win. Tosatto has been a trusted teammate of Bettini's the last few seasons at Quick Step, while Tonti too has spent the last season at the service of Bettini. Both will be counted on heavily to launch "il grillo" when the time is right. As the date approaches fro the world's. the pressure mounts for the Italian team. But that' snothing unusual, as they are always among the top favorites at each world championship. And they usually deliver.