Froome confirmed in Sky team for Giro

Team Sky have confirmed Britain's Chris Froome in their team for the Giro d'Italia despite the ongoing investigation into his adverse doping test.

Chris Froome

Chris Froome will head up Team Sky's Giro d'Italia squad despite still being under investigation. (AAP)

Chris Froome has been confirmed in Team Sky's squad for the 101st Giro d'Italia, which begins next week.

The British team announced Froome would lead an eight-rider squad on Friday, with France's Kenny Elissonde replacing Philip Deignan after the Irishman was named in the provisional line-up by organisers earlier this week.

The four-time Tour de France winner's participation in the Tour of Italy, which begins in Jerusalem on May 4 and concludes in Rome on May 27, is under scrutiny over an adverse finding for elevated levels of salbutamol at last year's La Vuelta, which he won.

As the asthma medication is a specified substance, Froome can continue racing but he acknowledged the situation on Friday when outlining his dream to be the winner of all three Grand Tours - of France, Spain and Italy - at the same time.

"Of course there is an element of risk involved in targeting the Giro before the Tour but I think I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't give this race a go.

"I also recognise the wider issues and as I have said before I am doing everything I can, together with the team, to help resolve them as quickly as possible.

"In the meantime I am focused on racing. I would love to win the maglia rosa (the Giro race winner's pink jersey) but I am under no illusions whatsoever about how hard the race will be."

Froome will be joined in the Team Sky squad by Vasil Kiryienka of Belarus, Germany's Christian Knees and Colombia's Sergio Henao - all of whom helped the 32-year-old win the Tour last July.

Elissonde, Wout Poels of Holland, Spain's David de la Cruz and Salvatore Puccio of Italy complete the line-up.


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Source: AAP



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