Nibali leads Italy Worlds squad
Former Milan-San Remo champion Filippo Pozzato was the major absentee as Italy named Its World Road Race Championships squad on Tuesday.
Pozzato had recently been linked to the controversial sports doctor Michele Ferrari, a notorious figure in cycling who has previously had links with many top cyclists including American Lance Armstrong.
On Tuesday the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) confirmed Pozzato's three-month ban, backdated to June 19, would end on September 18.
Although he would be theoretically able to ride for Italy in the upcoming world road race championships in the Netherlands, which end five days later, Pozzato - a former Tour de France stage winner - was left off the squad.
The squad was announced by the Italian cycling federation Tuesday and included a number of younger riders expected to support the rainbow jersey bid of former Tour of Spain champion Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas).
The championships will be held under a new format in the Limburg region between September 15-23 with men's and women's team time trials, individual time trials and road races held along with junior and under-23 races.
Nibali is widely considered Italy's best chance of winning the road race champion's rainbow jersey, currently held by British sprinter Mark Cavendish, on the undulating course on September 23.
Concerning Pozzato, a statement on the website of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) said: "In the disciplinary proceedings against Filippo Pozzato, the National Anti-Doping Tribunal ... has handed down a three-month ban."
It added that the ban was backdated "from 19 June 2012 (date of notification) and ends September 18, 2012".
"It also condemns the athlete to pay the costs of the proceedings, calculated at 2 000 euros, and a fine equal to 10 000 euros."
Pozzato had previously admitted receiving training programmes from Ferrari from 2005 to 2009.
ITALY MEN'S SQUAD:
Eros Capecchi (Liquigas), Dario Cataldo (Omega Pharma), Oscar Gatto (Farnese Vini), Marco Marcato (Vacansoleil), Moreno Moser (Liquigas), Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas), Giacomo Nizzolo (RadioShack), Rinaldo Nocentini (Ag2r), Luca Paolini (Katusha), Matteo Trentin (Omega Pharma), Diego Ulissi (Lampre)
