Danilo Di Luca has been left out of the Italian team for the world championships in this northern Italian city later this month.
The exclusion of the 2007 Giro d'Italia winner from coach Franco Ballerini's nine-man team for the September 28 road race surprised many observers.
The 32-year-old struggled to regain form early this year after a three-month doping ban and a Giro 2007 probe but came 8th in this year's Giro and was included in the Italian team for the Beijing Olympics.
Paolo Bettini, 34, will be bidding to make it three in a row in Varese, helped by 37-year-old Davide Rebellin who won the silver medal in Beijing.
Other leading members of the team are Marzio Bruseghin, 34, third in this year's Giro, and Damiano Cunego, 26, winner of the 2004 Giro.
Here is the team: Paolo Bettini, Andrea Tonti, Matteo Tosatto, Damiano Cunego, Marzio Bruseghin, Alessandro Ballan, Davide Rebellin, Luca Paolini, Gabriele Bosisio.
