2010 Vuelta a España wildcards

[craig1985]

2010 Vuelta a España wildcards

Surely they must be announced soon, I know the Vuelta organisers, Unipublic, were going to announce them after the Giro, and that ended on Sunday.

The same 16 teams that got automatically invited into the Tour de France also are automatically invited (unless they choose not to ride, have a rider test positive etc.), and they are:

Automatically in:

Ag2r-La Mondiale
Astana
BBox Bouygues Télécom
Caisse d'Epargne
Cofidis, Le Crédit en Ligne
Euskaltel-Euskadi
Française des Jeux
Footon-Servetto-Fuji
Lampre-Farnese Vini
Liquigas-Doimo
Quick Step
Rabobank
Omega Pharma-Lotto
Team HTC-Columbia
Team Milram
Team Saxo Bank

Those who need an invite:

Andalucía-Cajasur
Cervélo TestTeam
Garmin-Transitions
ISD-Neri
Skil-Shimano
Team Katusha
Team RadioShack
Team Sky
Vacansoleil
Xacobeo-Galicia

I'm not aware that Acqua e Sapone, Androni Giocattoli, and BMC were after a wildcard, if they are, then can you include them to the list of hopefuls. Javier Gullién (Vuelta Director-General), has said that there is a good chance that both Skil and Vacansoleil could get an invite. Andalucía and Xacobeo would have to be certainties for mine (since the race starts in Seville is in the region where the former is based). That's 18 teams there, so that makes four spots left.

Off the four ProTour teams plus Cervélo, it's going to depend on who they bring. If Sastre doesn't decide to race, then Cervélo may lose it's spot.

This is going to be interesting.

 

[josekaubeda]

Andalucía Cajasur, Xacobeo Galicia, Cervélo, Garmin-Transitions, Katusha and Radioshack.

 

[togo95]

I'd like to see Vacansoleil there too

 

[issoisso]

A&S and BMC both applied. Vacansoleil and Skil are both likely to get invites, unlike BMC, if Guillén's words are any guide.

Anyway, they're likely to be announced early next week

 

[theyoungest]

I'm not aware that Acqua e Sapone, Androni Giocattoli, and BMC were after a wildcard, if they are, then can you include them to the list of hopefuls. Javier Gullién (Vuelta Director-General), has said that there is a good chance that both Skil and Vacansoleil could get an invite. Andalucía and Xacobeo would have to be certainties for mine (since the race starts in Seville is in the region where the former is based). That's 18 teams there, so that makes four spots left.

Off the four ProTour teams plus Cervélo, it's going to depend on who they bring. If Sastre doesn't decide to race, then Cervélo may lose it's spot.

This is going to be interesting.

Why Skil? Ok, they'll probably field a stronger team than BMC, but still.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I really, really hope ISD get an invite. I'm sure they won't, but I really hope they do. They enliven nearly every race they enter, and with Rujano (who could target the race, though he'll go over and defend his Colombia title if they don't get in), Visconti, Sinkewitz, Grabovskyy and the like, they'd offer a lot more than a lot of the teams on the invites list.

The other question will be, will all of the guaranteed slots take up their option - after all Euskaltel and FdJ opted out of the Giro. I'd expect that everybody will try to race the Vuelta but you never know.

 

[TRDean]

Why Skil? Ok, they'll probably field a stronger team than BMC, but still.

I think it is fair for Skil to be in the running for a spot...they did just finish the Tour of Belgium with Cornu in 2nd overall...and won two stages...they also won a stage in Germany last week as well...

Maybe not enough results for the Tour earlier in the year...but Skil has been doing very well in the last month or so....and they will go to the race and ride hard...very much like Vacansoleil last season.

 

[luckyboy]

It'd be pretty crap if we go through the season without Skil, Vacansoleil or ISD at a GT.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

It'd be pretty crap if we go through the season without Skil, Vacansoleil or ISD at a GT.

I agreed, I hope they all get invites. Though I don't see ISD getting one.
Sucks, would have been nice seeing ricco at the vuelta.

I would expect Vasc. and Xacobeo-Galicia to get a spot.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Riccò's at Ceramica Flaminia. ISD's big riders are Rujano and Visconti (and now, Sinkewitz).

Guess we can look forward to them being quite strong at the Volta a Portugal...

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Riccò's at Ceramica Flaminia. ISD's big riders are Rujano and Visconti (and now, Sinkewitz).

Guess we can look forward to them being quite strong at the Volta a Portugal...

*Palmface* haha i seiorsly dunno where i got ricco from isd, i knew he was from cerm I'm losing my mind today, that's what doing HW all night does to me I guess

 

[Mellow Velo]

Personally, I wouldn't give either Sky or Radio Shack an invite. Sky are GT lightweights and will be done in by 2 GTs in their first season.
Shack are just plain disrespectful, so I'd take away their option to cherry pick and send them packing. Besides, we all know it will be the leftovers that they send.

Give Skil, Vacan and ISD a pass. The peloton needs some fresh blood!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

But then, after that you can almost guarantee the two Spanish sides, Xacobeo and Andalucía... leaving just one slot (maybe 2 at a real push)... Cervélo, Garmin, Katyusha...?

So difficult really, but then those guys will be doing all three GTs, and you have all these quality riders not able to go to a single one...

 

[Gotland]

Cervélo TestTeam, Team Katusha, Team RadioShack, Team Sky, Vacansoleil and
Xacobeo-Galicia.

Katusha, sky and Andalucía will figth for the last two spots.

 

[josekaubeda]

Personally, I wouldn't give either Sky or Radio Shack an invite. Sky are GT lightweights and will be done in by 2 GTs in their first season.
Shack are just plain disrespectful, so I'd take away their option to cherry pick and send them packing. Besides, we all know it will be the leftovers that they send.

¿What about "Cima Chechu Rubiera" at Cotobello climb? And they can bring Irizar, Zubeldia, Chechu... plus Machado, Hermans, Impey. A good team, indeed.

 

[Mellow Velo]

¿What about "Cima Chechu Rubiera" at Cotobello climb? And they can bring Irizar, Zubeldia, Chechu... plus Machado, Hermans, Impey. A good team, indeed.

Fine. Can't argue with that team, just it's ethics.

Wildcards were something Pat would like to do without in anycase.
That's why his Pro Tour vision got up the ASO's nose in the first place.
Kind of ironic, that now the dust has settled, they seem happy to play ball and ignore the best PC teams.

I'd also dump Cervelo, as Sastre will be spent. (if there at all).....
Oh wait, don't tell me......Tondo and Hushovd. (who will definitely drop out)

 

[icefire]

Sastre hasn't confirmed his presence at the Tour yet. And he knows that Mr Guillén doesn't want Cervelo in the Vuelta without him.

 

[kurtinsc]

Personally, I wouldn't give either Sky or Radio Shack an invite. Sky are GT lightweights and will be done in by 2 GTs in their first season.
Shack are just plain disrespectful, so I'd take away their option to cherry pick and send them packing. Besides, we all know it will be the leftovers that they send.

Give Skil, Vacan and ISD a pass. The peloton needs some fresh blood!

I would say that if RS gets embarassed at the Tour (like many are expecting) then they won't be sending leftovers to Spain... it will be a top group with someone other then Lance leading (who may be able to get better results).

 

[Michele]

Are the french teams Cofidis/Bbox/Ag2r interested in riding the Vuelta?

 

[issoisso]

Are the french teams Cofidis/Bbox/Ag2r interested in riding the Vuelta?

I don't see why they wouldn't be

 

[royalpig180]

I personally would really like to see Vaconsoleil get an invite to the Vuelta. Seems to me they would have been one of the next teams in line for a Tour invite if BMC hadn't gotten Evans...

Vacansoleil is clearly one of the stronger pro-continental teams and it deserves a shot at one of the season's GTs

 

[craig1985]

I don't see why they wouldn't be

Bbox might be a tight on riders since Voeckler and Bonnet have just done the Giro and I'll assume both will be racing the Tour. I suppose Fedrigo could lead the team. Is David Moncoutié planning on skipping the Tour to race the Vuelta?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

More than likely. He wants to win his third straight KOM.

 

[Sasquatch]

BMC won't get invited.

 

[Sasquatch]

Yeah, Moncoutie has said that he wanted to do the Giro this year and do Spain to go for another KOM jersey and knows that he has to sacrifice the TDF to do it.