LAUSANNE (Switzerland), May 5: Andreas Kloeden swiftly moved his sights to the Giro d’Italia after claiming his first victory of the season in the Tour of Romandie on Sunday.

His Astana team said on Saturday that Giro organisers RCS had asked them the previous day to participate in the race, which starts next Saturday, having originally left them out.

The Kazakh-funded outfit have been hit by doping scandals over the past two years and have been excluded from the Tour de France this season as well.

Kloeden, twice a Tour de France runner-up in 2004 and 2006, will lead an impressive Astana line-up at the Giro start in Palermo on Saturday, with Tour de France champion Alberto Contador and American Levi Leipheimer.

In the Tour of Romandie, Kloeden had to focus on retaining his 35-second lead over Czech Roman Kreuziger at the start of the 154-km fifth and final stage to Lausanne. The Berliner was content with finishing in the main bunch and leave stage honours to Italian Daniele Bennati, another man to watch in the Giro.

Liquigas rider Bennati won the final sprint ahead of Swiss Markus Zberg and Kazakh Maxim Iglinskiy for his 31st career win.

He could be the man to beat in the Giro sprints as well since compatriot Alessandro Petacchi pulled out with bronchitis.

In the overall standings, Kloeden beat Kreuziger by 35 seconds, with Italian Marco Pinotti third, 43 seconds adrift.

It was Kloeden’s 16th career victory after the former German champion won other stage races such as Paris-Nice and the Tour of the Basque Country, both in 2000, and the Tirreno-Adriatico last year.—Reuters