Giro d'Italia - Tinkoff Credit Systems Announces Giro d'Italia Roster
The grand animators of the 2007 Giro return with a team to light up the Giro once again on the hunt for stage victories.

Rome - 5 May 2008 - The 91st edition of the Giro d'Italia begins this Saturday in Palermo Sicily, as the Tinkoff Credit Systems cycling team returns to participate for a second year. Sports Director Orlando Maini has determined the final Giro d'Italia roster for the Tinkoff team which includes the following riders:

Tinkoff Credit Systems
Giro d'Italia Squad
Alberto Loddo
Alexander Serov
Nikolai Trusov
Sergey Klimov
Luca Mazzanti
Evgueni Petrov
Vasil Kiryenka
Pavel Brutt
Mikhail Ignatiev
D.S.: Orlando Maini

"One of our main objectives is naturally stage victories," Maini stated, " we expect Loddo to be fully active in the sprint finishes, and Ignatiev, Kiryenka, Mazzanti, and Petrov with their abilities to animate. Our other objective is to devote the team in support of Petrov and to improve his position from last year's seventh overall."

Petrov and Pavel Brutt accompanied by Maini trained on several of the important climbs on the 2008 Giro parcours such as the Passi del Manghen, Alpe di Pampeago, and Pordoi.

The difficult ascension of Marmolada, the Passo San Pellegrino, and the summit climb to Giau has also been tested by Petrov, additionally the feared Plan de Corones climb. "Such as stage will be very demanding and difficult," Petrov explained, "the kilometers up the Plan de Corones will be a final curtain call for many of the riders weary with fatigue."

Orlando Maini, who will be directing the squad at the Giro commented, "It was important to perform reconnaissance on the climbs for this years Giro in order to visualize important tactical areas, and I believe that the Plan de Corones will be one of the decisive factors in the general classification of the race. "

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