Ukrainian Yaroslav Popovych will lead Discovery Channel during the Giro d’Italia following the departure of last year's champion, Ivan Basso.

The 27-year-old heads up a team with great experience - 58 grand tours among them - with a view to winning at least one stage and wearing the overall leader's pink jersey at some point during the race, which runs from May 12 to June 3.

Popovych, third in the 2003 Giro, replaces Basso after the Italian quit the team last Monday, saying that ongoing suspicions regarding his alleged connection to the Operación Puerto scandal were damaging the team.

The 29-year-old Basso has always protested his innocence.

Discovery Channel for the Giro: Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr), Volodymyr Bileka (Ukr), Steve Cummings (GB), Pavel Padrnos (Cze), Jose Luis Rubiera (Sp), Tomas Vaitkus (Ltu), Brian Vandborg (Den), Jurgen Van Goolen (B), Matthew White (Aus).

Di Luca leads Liquigas
Italian Danilo Di Luca will lead the Liquigas team in the Giro d’Italia.

The winner of this year's Liège-Bastogne-Liège, who finished just off the podium in fourth spot during the 2005 Giro, said his favorites for the final victory were compatriots Gilberto Simoni, Damiano Cunego and Paolo Savoldelli. “Me? Still fourth,” said Di Luca.

Liquigas for the Giro: Danilo Di Luca (I), Enrico Gasparotto (I), Vladimir Miholjevic (Cro), Vincenzo Nibali (I), Andrea Noè (I), Free Pellizotti (I), Alessandro Spezialetti (I), Alessandro Vanotti (I), Charles Wegelius (GB).