Astana will line up their best possible team in the Giro d'Italia despite a late invitation to the three-week race, sporting director Alain Gallopin said.

Giro organisers RCS confirmed on Sunday that they had invited Astana to take part in the three-week race, which starts on Saturday, after having originally left out the Kazakh team.

"We will go to the Giro with our three leaders, Alberto Contador, Levi Leipheimer and Andreas Kloeden," Gallopin told Reuters on Sunday before the fifth and last stage of the Tour of Romandie.

"It is not easy to turn the riders' agenda upside down, but above all the staff's. But since the beginning of the season, we have been adapting to all kinds of situations. So it is obvious that we're going there to win."

"Preparation for a Grand Tour involves intensive planning, both for our staff and riders. Many people may not realise that riders schedule their season-long training programs around these three-week races," team manager Johan Bruyneel said.

"The one-week notice is certainly an extra challenge, but I'm confident that our team will show up motivated."

American Levi Leipheimer said: "I was planning on training in the U.S. for a couple of weeks, but now I need to fly to Italy and prepare myself for a tough three-week race. I haven't had the opportunity to take an in-depth look at the course, but I know we'll tackle some big climbs.

"I've also read that there are four time trials, which leads to me believe there will be some great opportunities for a rider like me."

Astana entered the season with arguably the strongest squad of the peloton, with Tour de France champion Contador, twice Tour runner-up Kloeden and last year's third-placed rider Leipheimer.

The Kazakh team had overhauled their structure after being hit by a series of doping scandals over the past two years, with leader Alexander Vinokourov testing positive for blood doping following his stage win in Albi on the 2007 Tour de France.

Belgian Bruyneel, who helped Lance Armstrong to seven straight titles on the French roads, took over from Swiss Marc Biver as team manager.

However, the team suffered a setback when Tour de France organisers ASO said Astana would be barred from entering all their races this season because of their doping record.

Giro organisers also said they would not invite Astana to their events but changed their minds eight days before the start of the Italian race.

Reuters