While there's sure to be hype surrounding this year's Vuelta a Castilla y León thanks to the announcement that Lance Armstrong will ride (see above), local boy Oscar Freire will make his return to racing at the same race. The triple world champion was forced to miss one of his main races for the season, Milano-Sanremo, due to injuries suffered in a fall during the Tour of California.
It's bitterly disappointing for the experienced Spaniard, who is a perennial contender for the Sanremo crown. Castilla y León starts only three days after La Primavera, but will be used as a means of reintroducing Freire to competition.
