2010 Vuelta a España wildcards

[royalpig180]

BMC won't get invited.

I agree, unless they guarantee the organizers that Evans will participate. He's been a golden ticket for getting entry to races so far...

I could see him riding the Vuelta assuming he's unable to perform at a high level at the tour following his all-or nothing performance at the Giro.

 

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

At the start of the season, Sky management said all their riders would get a chance in a GT this year. If they stick to that then the Vuelta team would be these guys (assuming I have the Tour squad right):

Nicolas Portal
John-Lee-Augustin
Ben Swift
Russell Downing
Peter Kennaugh
Ian Stannard
Kyell Callstrom
Lars Petter Nordhaug
Davide Vigano

On that basis, they are unlikely to send a strong team unless some others (like EBH) want to ride it for form for the worlds.

I'd say Sky are on a sticky wicket but then again, maybe the fact they have raced a lot of the spanish races early in the season (Murcia, Andalucia, Catalonia, Basque Country etc) will hold them in good stead.

 

[craig1985]

If that would be their line up I would rather make sure ISD got a go instead. It won't happen though, and Sky will get their invite. Totally predictable.

 

[joy118118]

At the start of the season, Sky management said all their riders would get a chance in a GT this year. If they stick to that then the Vuelta team would be these guys (assuming I have the Tour squad right):

Nicolas Portal
John-Lee-Augustin
Ben Swift
Russell Downing
Peter Kennaugh
Ian Stannard
Kyell Callstrom
Lars Petter Nordhaug
Davide Vigano

On that basis, they are unlikely to send a strong team unless some others (like EBH) want to ride it for form for the worlds.

I'd say Sky are on a sticky wicket but then again, maybe the fact they have raced a lot of the spanish races early in the season (Murcia, Andalucia, Catalonia, Basque Country etc) will hold them in good stead.

The list looks no fun. The organizer should give the wild card to some PCT team rather than these boring PT team like Sky.

 

[stefrees]

At the start of the season, Sky management said all their riders would get a chance in a GT this year. If they stick to that then the Vuelta team would be these guys (assuming I have the Tour squad right):

Nicolas Portal
John-Lee-Augustin
Ben Swift
Russell Downing
Peter Kennaugh
Ian Stannard
Kyell Callstrom
Lars Petter Nordhaug
Davide Vigano

On that basis, they are unlikely to send a strong team unless some others (like EBH) want to ride it for form for the worlds.

I'd say Sky are on a sticky wicket but then again, maybe the fact they have raced a lot of the spanish races early in the season (Murcia, Andalucia, Catalonia, Basque Country etc) will hold them in good stead.

i think in a bizarre way that team would be more fun to watch than the sky tdf team, theyd go for sprints and breaks andgive the youngsters with great futures (kennaugh) experience.

as you say also sky have done all the spanish stage races which would curry them favour with unipublic-plus i think theyll take flecha too

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

i think in a bizarre way that team would be more fun to watch than the sky tdf team, theyd go for sprints and breaks andgive the youngsters with great futures (kennaugh) experience.

as you say also sky have done all the spanish stage races which would curry them favour with unipublic-plus i think theyll take flecha too

and EBH is clearly Vuelta bound now too

 

[icefire]

Sure, adding Flecha to the roster will increase Sky's chances to get selected. There's also a stage on the roads that Flecha uses for his training rides around his hometown that may be an extra incentive for him.

 

[stefrees]

and EBH is clearly Vuelta bound now too

if they take EBH theyll be dead certs

 

[joy118118]

EBH could defend his titles in Eneco Tour and Tour of Britain and this plan is also good for him to prepare Worlds. He doesnt need to do Vuelta.

But for Sky, who knows?

 

[stefrees]

EBH could defend his titles in Eneco Tour and Tour of Britain and this plan is also good for him to prepare Worlds. He doesnt need to do Vuelta.

But for Sky, who knows?

a couple of stage wins in the vuelta plus more gt experience is better in the long run than some trips through the potholed lanes of england/wales

 

[Jan the Man]

If Sky have EBH and Flecha, I'd imagine that would be enough to get the invite. Otherwise I am not certain.

I would be interest to see how Kennaugh goes in a GT, hasn't he been touted by Sky management as GT possibility for the future?

 

[The Sheep]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vuelta-teams-list-leaked

So according to CN Xacobeo-Galicia and Andalucia-Cajasur and Team RadioShack will get 3 of the wildcards.

That leaves 3 more for

Cervélo TestTeam
Garmin-Transitions
ISD-Neri
Skil-Shimano
Team Katusha
Team Sky
Vacansoleil

 

[Anonymous]

At the start of the season, Sky management said all their riders would get a chance in a GT this year. If they stick to that then the Vuelta team would be these guys (assuming I have the Tour squad right):

I'd say Sky are on a sticky wicket but then again, maybe the fact they have raced a lot of the spanish races early in the season (Murcia, Andalucia, Catalonia, Basque Country etc) will hold them in good stead.

Its my understanding that sky have a vuelta spot. However, not sure sky are sticking by their everybody will get a chance thing anymore. There are at least two riders who rode the giro who have said they are taking a break and then hoping to be in the squad for the veulta.

regarding EbH and the toB. I think he would have ridden it with Russ D defending his tour of ireland crown. With no tour of ireland now Sky may prefer a british winner of the tour of britain. Its been a while since a brit won the race.

 

[Anonymous]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vuelta-teams-list-leaked

So according to CN Xacobeo-Galicia and Andalucia-Cajasur and Team RadioShack will get 3 of the wildcards.

That leaves 3 more for

Cervélo TestTeam
Garmin-Transitions
ISD-Neri
Skil-Shimano
Team Katusha
Team Sky
Vacansoleil

well, according to Spanish sports daily Marca who cn regurgitated

Notice that they also say garmin, skil, katusha and vacon have missed out on invitations.

That leaves cervelo, sky and isd

 

[craig1985]

Only if Sastre rides.

 

[theyoungest]

well, according to Spanish sports daily Marca who cn regurgitated

Notice that they also say garmin, skil, katusha and vacon have missed out on invitations.

That leaves cervelo, sky and isd

No they don't, that's what Cyclingnews says. This is from the Marca article:

El BMC, puesto que no vendrá con Evans, tiene muy difícil el puesto. No es el mismo caso del Vacansoleil, que tan buen sabor de boca dejó el año pasado y que además en éste se ha quedado fuera del Tour. Garmin, Katusha, Skil y Acqua&Sapone, entre otros, aspiran a la última o últimas plazas. Es obvio que alguno se quedará fuera, ya que no hay sitio para todos.

My Spanish is not that great, but I think this means that BMC without Evans has a difficult position, but that this is not the case for Vacansoleil, who left a good impression last year.

 

[issoisso]

No they don't, that's what Cyclingnews says. This is from the Marca article:

My Spanish is not that great, but I think this means that BMC without Evans has a difficult position, but that this is not the case for Vacansoleil, who left a good impression last year.

Let me help you with that

BMC, since they won't bring Evans, will have a lot of trouble getting a spot. Not the case with Vacensoleil who left such a good impression last year and furthermore were left out of the Tour this year [meaning: they're fresh].

Garmin, Katusha, Skil and Acqua&Sapone, among others, aspire to the last place or places [read]. Obviously someone won't get it, since there's no room for everyone

 

[Barrus]

Let me help you with that

So wait a minute doesn't this mean that according to that Vacansoleil DOES get an invite? Or at least has a better chance than the others

 

[issoisso]

So wait a minute doesn't this mean that according to that Vacansoleil DOES get an invite? Or at least has a better chance than the others

I'd be shocked if they didn't get one

 

[TRDean]

Skil and Vac...not in Vuelta!

http://www.nu.nl/sport/2264944/skil-en-vacansoleil-niet-in-vuelta.html

 

[Barrus]

Skil and Vac...not in Vuelta!

http://www.nu.nl/sport/2264944/skil-en-vacansoleil-niet-in-vuelta.html

That's a translation of the same article we were just discussing, also if you read the dutch article you'll see that it is likely they won't be in, not a certainty. Nu is just being pessimistic

 

[staubsauger]

so no katjoesja, vacansoleil, skill, garmin aqua&sapone and bmc?

cervelo+sky+??? do you really think it's isd? couldn't it more likely be ceramica flaminia because of ricco? he wasn't allowed to start at il giro, so la vuelta would be his gt this year. and without valverde, contador, evans and maybe even sastre, sanchez and mentsjov unipublic need every contender they could get to be competitive to il giro and le tour.

 

[Anonymous]

Let me help you with that

so cycling news pretty much trashed the translation then and made it up for themselves?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

so no katjoesja, vacansoleil, skill, garmin aqua&sapone and bmc?

cervelo+sky+??? do you really think it's isd? couldn't it more likely be ceramica flaminia because of ricco? he wasn't allowed to start at il giro, so la vuelta would be his gt this year. and without valverde, contador, evans and maybe even sastre, sanchez and mentsjov unipublic need every contender they could get to be competitive to il giro and le tour.

I doubt it. Have Ceramica Flaminia even asked if they can go? I don't think they have.

Now... the Volta a Portugal could be VERY interesting if the likes of Riccò turn up. Several of the Italian continental teams turn up most years there. Michael Rasmussen has spoken of targeting it seeing as it's the longest, most difficult European race accessible to him (of course, the Vuelta a Colombia is the longest, most difficult race outside of the three GTs, but is coterminous with Portugal).

Who's to say Menchov won't go? He used to do two GTs, Tour and Vuelta, and be in top form at the Vuelta. He switched it for 2008 to try and be in best form for the Tour, and it sort of worked, then in 2009 he won the Giro, so he's gone back to his old prep methods to try and be fresh for the Tour.

We just don't know with Menchov, and the Tourmalet stages are still six weeks away, but he hasn't looked too grand so far this season. So perhaps going for a third Vuelta wouldn't be out of the question at all. Caisse will probably be led by Arroyo, though Bruseghin wouldn't be a bad expectation either given how swiftly his Giro derailed; don't think it's a route for him though. It also depends how the likes of Soler go in the Tour; Cobo was top 10 at last year's Vuelta with pretty much no support, remember. Euskaltel will have both Beñat Intxausti and Igor Antón. Mosquera will be around. Gesink too. Shack will contribute somebody useful - Brajkovic, Horner, Zubeldia, Machado, somebody who can compete. Maybe Nibali will show since he's had the Tour off; Liquigas had contenders at all the big races last year, why not this one? Plus, any Tour contender who is disappointed by their performance or results, or drops out injured, will want to make amends, much as Gesink and Evans did last year. Given the field we're projecting for the Tour, there's going to be somebody out there who is going to be squeezed out and not get the results they want, and go to the Vuelta.

Katyusha I expect to get an invite. They'll dangle Joaquím Rodríguez out there. In fact, given the abject lack of TT mileage in this year's Vuelta, and some steep climbs, if he entered it in some form I'd tip him to win it.

 

[Climbing]

As Liquigas stated at the end of the Giro, Nibali is skipping TdF and going in the Vuelta as captain.