The beleaguered Astana team – already excluded from the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France – received more bad news Tuesday after race organizers said the squad would not be invited at upcoming Italian races Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo.

That means Andreas Klöden, one of Astana’s top riders, won’t be able to defend his victory from last year at Tirreno-Adriatico.

Both High Road and Slipstream-Chipotle earned bids to the important Italian races organized by RCS Sport, which also operates the Giro as well as other Italian events.

Giro chief Angelo Zomegnan delivered the first blow last month when he decided that Astaná would not be welcome at the Giro, but there was still hope the team would be able to participate in other races RCS Sport organizes.

Those hopes were dashed Tuesday when RSC revealed invitations for Tirreno-Adriatico, Italy’s first major stage race of the season March 12-18, and Milan-San Remo, the traditional kick off to the classics calendar on March 22.

Credit Agricole and Bouygues Telecom, two French teams overlooked for the Giro, were invited to participate in Milan-San Remo, but not Tirreno-Adriatico.

High Road had initially been left out of the Giro when invitations were released last month, but the team was back in the good graces of Giro officials and will be welcomed to the 2008 edition.

Teams for both Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo
Ag2r-La Mondiale
Barloworld
Caisse d’Epargne
Cofidis
CSF
Diquigiovanni
Euskaltel-Euskadi
Francaise des Jeux
Gerolsteiner
High Road
Lampre
Liquigas
LPR
Quick Step
Rabobank
Saunier Duval
Silence-Lotto
Slipstream
CSC
Milram
Tinkoff Credit Systems

For Milan-San Remo only
Credit Agricole
NGC
Bouygues Telecom