Giro organizers move further from UCI with '07 team selections

CyclingNews.com | RCS Sport holds firm - Unibet.com snubbed for Tirreno, Sanremo and Giro

I guess the Grand Tour organizers really mean it; RCS today announced the Giro's team lineup, and they've left out ProTour team 19, Unibet.com.

RCS also initiated a new system, where three ProTour teams (Caisse d'Epargne, Gerolsteiner, and Rabobank) have the option to race or not race in the Giro and Milan-San Remo.

All 18 pre-Unibet.com ProTour teams are invited. If all three option teams choose not to race, then RCS will choose 7 wild-card teams from these eight teams on February 16:

Acqua & Sapone
Astaña
Barloworld
Ceramica Flaminia
Ceramica Panaria
Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Selle Italia expialidocious
LPR
Tinkoff

If the three option teams choose to race, the RCS will name only 4 wild-card teams to the final race field.

For Milan-San Remo, the same rules apply, but RCS will select six to nine wild-cards (depending on ProTour commitments) from the above list plus Ireland's Tenax-Salmilano, for 24 total teams.

The Grand Tour organizers and the UCI have been feuding over the ProTour, which required all teams to race in every event, and required race organizers to set aside 18, and now 19, places for ProTour teams. RCS, ASO, and Unipublic prefer more wild cards.