Simoni challenges Armstrong

Simoni won his second Giro last year

Defending Giro d'Italia champion Gilberto Simoni has challenged Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong to compete in the Italian race next year.

"Armstrong, I'll be waiting for you," is the message on the Italian rider's Saeco team website.

The Giro route was announced this weekend. It includes two tough Alpine stages in the closing days and only one long individual time trial.

Armstrong, who has won the Tour a record five times, has never competed in the Italian event - traditionally ranked second after the French race.

During the May/June dates of the Giro, Armstrong is usually in training for his main event in France in July.

But Simoni rejects the idea that you cannot compete in both .

"I'm doing the Tour after the Giro," Simoni was quoted as saying in Monday's Tuttosport newspaper.

"Why won't he ever come to Italy?"

Armstrong's usual response is that there is not enough time to recover from the Giro for the Tour.

This theory is supported to an extent by Simoni's performance in last year's Tour.

Despite winning stage 14, the Italian came 84th, more than two-and-a-half hours behind Armstrong.

No rider has won both the Giro and the Tour in the same season since Italian climber Marco Pantani achieved the feat in 1998.

Armstrong's usual top challenger in France, Jan Ullrich of Germany, has also indicated he does not plan to ride in next year's Giro.

Giro d'Italia 2004 route

Prologue - May 8: Prologue ITT, Genova, 7 km
Stage 1 - May 9: Genova - Alba, 149 km
Stage 2 - May 10: Novi Ligure - Pontremoli, 183 km
Stage 3 - May 11: Pontremoli - Corno Alle Scale, 190 km
Stage 4 - May 12: Porretta Terme - Civitella in Val Di Chiana, 187 km
Stage 5 - May 13: Civitella in Val Di Chiana - Spoleto, 174 km
Stage 6 - May 14: Spoleto - Valmontone, 163 km
Stage 7 - May 15: Frosinone - Montevergine Di Mercogliano, 211 km
Stage 8 - May 16: Giffoni Valle Piana - Policoro, 234 km
Stage 9 - May 17: Policoro - Carovigno, 142 km
Rest Day - May 18
Stage 10 - May 19: Porto Sant'Elpidio - Ascoli Piceno, 145 km
Stage 11 - May 20: Porto Sant-Elpidio - Cesena, 229 km
Stage 12 - May 21: Cesena - Treviso, 216 km
Stage 13 - May 22: Trieste - Altopiano Carsico ITT, 52 km
Stage 14 - May 23: Trieste - Pula/Pola, 166 km
Stage 15 - May 24: Porec/Parenzo - San Vendemiano, 229 km
Stage 16 - May 25: San Vendemiano - Falzes, 215 km
Rest Day - May 26
Stage 17 - May 27: Brunico - Fondo Sarnonico, 158 km
Stage 18 - May 28: Cles Val di Non - Bormio 2000, 120 km
Stage 19 - May 29: Bormio - Presolana, 121 km
Stage 20 - May 30: Clusone - Milano, 144 km