Cadel Evans and his Silence-Lotto team have fallen out over the Australian?s participation in the 2009 Giro d?Italia. The Belgian team insist he will ride the centenary edition of the race but Evans is saying he won?t, indicating tension in the team even before the 2009 season gets underway.
Despite signing a new two-year contract in September, Evans was critical of the team after they let Yaroslav Popovych leave for Astana and failed to replace Bernhard Kohl following his positive for CERA. Now Evans? presence at the 2009 Giro d'Italia has sparked a war of words.
On Wednesday the Silence-Lotto team announced that Evans would ride the 2009 Giro d'Italia with Italian directeur sportif and Evans' mentor Roberto Damiani quoting Evans as saying ?I think I?m mature enough to ride two major stage races like the Giro and the Tour in the same year,? to the Italian website tuttobiciweb.it.
However just hours after the announcement, Evans signaled that he does not want to ride and is quoted on another website saying: "I didn't announce I would be riding the Giro, the organisers did. I am not riding the Giro next year, my focus will be on winning the Tour de France in July,"
"They announced I would be riding because they want publicity for their race. I have never said I would ride the Giro."
The route of the 2009 Giro d'Italia will be unveiled in Venice on Saturday.
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