Liquigas is sending all of its top stars to Milan-San Remo, while Caisse d'Epargne is leaving Luis Leon Sanchez at home. Team Milram will see the return of Linus Gerdemann in the race.
Daniel Bennati, Vincenzo Nibali, France Pellizotti and Roman Kreuziger will spearhead the four-pronged attack of the Italian team. The team purposefully kept all its options open. Bennati “will be our leader in a sprint finish,” said Directeur Sportif Mario Scirea on the team's website. “Nibali, Pellizotti and Kreuziger will be there to keep the tempo up in the climbs and to follow breaks.”
The team is not taking youngster Peter Sagan, who last week won two stages at Paris-Nice
Caisse d'Epargne will not feature Luis Leon Sanchez, but go with his fellow Spaniard Jose Joaquín Rojas Gil as captain in Milan-San Remo. The 24-year-old has brought in numerous top ten finishes this season and most recently finished 13th overall in Tirreno-Adriatico. In 2008 he finished 33rd in San Remo.
Alessandro Petacchi will hope to repeat his 2005 Milan-San Remo victory, this time for Lampre-Farnese Vini. But the team is also sending Damiano Cunego, who could play a joker role.
“Milan- San Remo is a main race for our team and with Petacchi, we will fight for the victory,” said Giuseppe Saronni, the team's general manager, on the team's website. “Cunego's presence will be important, too, because he could be the team joker in cast of attacks from other top riders before the sprint.”
Linus Gerdemann has recovered from the intestinal problems which forced him out of Tirreno-Adriatico and will lead Team Milram on Sunday. He has two victories on the season, including the opening stage of Tirreno-Adriatico. “Linus could be a surprise here,” said directeur sportif Christian Henn. “Basically, we have a team that is good for a surprise, and we have no pressure on us because of all the riders missing due to injuries.“ Milano
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Liquigas: Valerio Agnoli, Daniele Bennati, Roman Kreuziger, Vincenzo Nibali, Daniel Oss, Franco Pellizotti, Manuel Quinziato, and Fabio Sabatini
Caisse d'Epargne: Marzio Bruseghin, Rui Costa, Arnaud Coyot, Vasil Kiryienka, Pablo Lastras, José Joaquin Rojas Gil, Rigoberto Uran, and Xabier Zandio
Lampre-Farnese Vini: Lorenzo Bernucci, Damiano Cunego, Mauro Da Dalto, Francesco Gavazzi, Danilo Hondo, Mirco Lorenzetto. Manuele Mori, and Alessandro Petacchi
Team Milram: Markus Fothen, Linus Gerdemann, Christian Knees, Luke Roberts, Roy Sentjens, Niki Terpstra, Paul Voß and Peter Wrolich
