The Team Garmin cyclists must be licking their collective chops on Saturday after learning that the 2009 Giro d'Italia opens with a team time trial in Venice.

An opening team time trial in the Giro last year put the US-based team -- then known as Team Slipstream-Chipotle -- in the leading position with Illinois-raised Christian Vande Velde in the pink jersey.

The Giro rolls across Italy (with brief visits to Austria, Switzerland and France) for 2,105 miles from May 9 -31. It finishes in Rome with a time trial, the first time the bike race has skipped Milan as the finish since 1989 ...   more »

First-time Giro d'Italia competitor Lance Armstrong taped a message for the 2009 course presentation in Venice on Saturday in which he reviewed some of the challenges of next year's bike race.

The press has been saying that Armstrong is racing the Giro d'Italia in May to win, then the Tour de France in July to support his Astana teammate Alberto Contador. But on Saturday he said:

"I know there's a lot of  talk about the pink jersey. I'm excited to race hard, but Ivan Basso is my favorite. ....   more »

The 100-year anniversary of the Giro d'Italia rolls out of Venice on May  9, 2009, and some big names in cycling already have announced their intentions to compete.

Leading the list is Lance Armstrong, who is coming out of retirement for 2009 and says he's in it to win. He's never before competed at the Giro.

Others include:

-- Carlos Sastre of Spain, winner of the 2008 Tour de France;

-- Cadel Evans of Australia, back to back runner up at the Tour ...   more »