2010 Vuelta a España wildcards

[theyoungest]

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.

Nope. Well, not if he manages to finish the Tour, which I admit is far from likely.

BTW, I think Menchov has looked okay so far, considering he's been out with allergies first and then with bronchitis, and still got 2nd at both Romandie and Murcia. Nothing spectacular, but certainly not worse than the leadup to his Giro win.

 

[ttrider]

yeh i think gesinks been ok, like the tour of murcia rejecting italian teams the valverde thing may be a reason for aqua sapone ceramica flaminia and isd to miss out, do any of us really expect them to go. i cant see katusha missing out with joaquin rodriguez surely Garmin is in with Farrar and stage wins last year. the thing is commercially i would imagine it is absolutely vital to have sky on board but for competition wise it isnt ideal. id say BMC definitely wont go they have no spanish stars and no evans

 

[craig1985]

Pozzato wants to ride the Vuelta as training for the World's.

 

[Mambo95]

The wildcards have gone to:

Xacobeo Galicia, Andalucía Cajasur, Cervélo, Garmin, Sky and Katusha.

Officially announced - on Marca website amongst other places.

 

[TRDean]

The wildcards have gone to:

Xacobeo Galicia, Andalucía Cajasur, Cervélo, Garmin, Sky and Katusha.

Officially announced - on Marca website amongst other places.

Well, I'm a little ****ed Skil and Vacansoleil missed the boat again!! Both teams have been riding very well lately...and deserve to be there. I'm not sure what Vac has to do to get an invite...except pay to be pro tour...and Skil has been winning fairly regularly as well...

 

[issoisso]

No Radioshack.

Oh snap

 

[Barrus]

Well, I'm a little ****ed Skil and Vacansoleil missed the boat again!! Both teams have been riding very well lately...and deserve to be there. I'm not sure what Vac has to do to get an invite...except pay to be pro tour...and Skil has been winning fairly regularly as well...

And ISD, really shameful none of these three got an invite for any grand tour this year, while they are, to me at least the most entertaining three pro conti formations

 

[Michele]

I feel really sorry for the Vacansoleil guys.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I feel very sorry for the Vacansoleil guys, definitely. Basically, you got to be a big money corporate behemoth to get support. Bring in the big money boredom teams. Great. At least Katyusha will have the likes of Rodríguez. Guess it'll be Footon and Andalucía-CajaSur up the road every day then, unless Ángel Vicioso turns into a GT challenger.

Although I am laughing at Shack's non-participation I'm also quite disappointed, since this means that the likes of Machado, Hermans and Brajkovic won't get the chance to show us what they can do. But then again, Unipublic know that the Shack don't care about any race after July, so why invite them? It's just a shame because it means that those Shack riders who've actually been, you know, quite good, won't get to strut their stuff on the biggest stages.

 

[ingsve]

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.

Is that "Sky" would prefer or "you" would prefer?

At any rate I think that EBH should mainly focus on defending Eneco Tour and leave ToB for someone else and instead get prepared for worlds and the italian fall classics where some of the races might suit him.

 

[Publicus]

I feel very sorry for the Vacansoleil guys, definitely. Basically, you got to be a big money corporate behemoth to get support. Bring in the big money boredom teams. Great. At least Katyusha will have the likes of Rodríguez. Guess it'll be Footon and Andalucía-CajaSur up the road every day then, unless Ángel Vicioso turns into a GT challenger.

Although I am laughing at Shack's non-participation I'm also quite disappointed, since this means that the likes of Machado, Hermans and Brajkovic won't get the chance to show us what they can do. But then again, Unipublic know that the Shack don't care about any race after July, so why invite them? It's just a shame because it means that those Shack riders who've actually been, you know, quite good, won't get to strut their stuff on the biggest stages.

The biggest losers out of this situation IMO.

EDIT: From the CN article just posted:

“We really wanted to ride the Vuelta but we weren’t invited,” RadioShack team spokesman Philippe Maertens told Cyclingnews from the Tour de Suisse.

“The organisers said we didn’t have a strong team on a sporting level, that other teams are better. That’s strange because we wanted to send a very strong roster.”

Maertens refused to name riders who were scheduled for the RadioShack Vuelta roster but Critérium du Dauphiné winner Janez Brajkovic and possibly Levi Leipheimer were likely to be in the team. Lance Armstrong was not expected to ride

 

[Leopejo]

So what will Sastre do?

Sorry for ISD-Neri.

 

[Anonymous]

Is that "Sky" would prefer or "you" would prefer?

At any rate I think that EBH should mainly focus on defending Eneco Tour and leave ToB for someone else and instead get prepared for worlds and the italian fall classics where some of the races might suit him.

no, i would like to see EbH defend his title. But i would assume as i have said that Sky may as a team might prefer to see a british rider win their home tour. In fact, not winning it could be seen by some british fans as embarassing.

As for vaconsoleil, they should tell the whole of cycling to get stuffed, pull out their sponsorship and go to another sport where they get what they deserve.

 

[maltiv]

Is that "Sky" would prefer or "you" would prefer?

At any rate I think that EBH should mainly focus on defending Eneco Tour and leave ToB for someone else and instead get prepared for worlds and the italian fall classics where some of the races might suit him.

I think EBH will do the Vuelta actually.

 

[Anonymous]

JB is upset again

@johanbruyneel: Just got word that TRS got snubbed for a bike race in Spain. Stay tuned for my comments. Gonna be interesting and spicy!

who cares JB...

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

no, i would like to see EbH defend his title. But i would assume as i have said that Sky may as a team might prefer to see a british rider win their home tour. In fact, not winning it could be seen by some british fans as embarassing.

As for vaconsoleil, they should tell the whole of cycling to get stuffed, pull out their sponsorship and go to another sport where they get what they deserve.

the big big losers. what a joke.
They don't deserve to miss out again.


skil too have been hardly done by. It is bullsh!t

 

[Publicus]

JB is upset again

@johanbruyneel: Just got word that TRS got snubbed for a bike race in Spain. Stay tuned for my comments. Gonna be interesting and spicy!

who cares JB...

He couldn't even spell out Vuelta. Just referred to it as a bike race in Spain. SMH.

EDIT: I predict they will allege that this is retaliation for their treatment of Contador last year. Or something childish like that. Nothing to do with their singular focus on the ToC and TdF to the exclusion of all other races.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

JB is upset again

@johanbruyneel: Just got word that TRS got snubbed for a bike race in Spain. Stay tuned for my comments. Gonna be interesting and spicy!

who cares JB...

"I am so petty that I will pretend the race doesn't exist, and isn't important, and it is on my permanent blacklist, and when Lance and I take over the world I will crush that puny Spanish race!"

 

[JimPanzen]

But then again, Unipublic know that the Shack don't care about any race after July, so why invite them? It's just a shame because it means that those Shack riders who've actually been, you know, quite good, won't get to strut their stuff on the biggest stages.

Dito! I think it's the whole attitude that RadioShack/Lance Armstrong is considering every race other than the TdF as training/preparation. Not paying respect to the organisers imo.

 

[Race Radio]

@johanbruyneel: Just got word that TRS got snubbed for a bike race in Spain. Stay tuned for my comments. Gonna be interesting and spicy!

 

[flicker]

After the way Radio Shack will humiliate all the other teams in the" Euro-Sport"
cycling in Le Tour the Vuelta organization is wise to delete the Shack.

 

[Barrus]

After the way Radio Shack will humiliate all the other teams in the" Euro-Sport"
cycling in Le Tour the Vuelta organization is wise to delete the Shack.

Like they are showing the "euro-sport" the entire year already?

 

[Anonymous]

exactly..

my response

@johanbruyneel I thought the season ended in july? whats wrong,
did they not offer lance £2m to ride for a week before pulling out?
@johanbruyneel besides, vaconsoleil didnt get invited either and fans would rather see them there than radioshack
about 1 hour ago via web

i await being blocked by jb with anticipation

im now in an argument with an idiot livestrong fan who thinks the two spanish wildcards cant be any good cos they didnt go the giro or the tour.. theres no arguing with some people

 

[balkou]

JB is upset again

@johanbruyneel: Just got word that TRS got snubbed for a bike race in Spain. Stay tuned for my comments. Gonna be interesting and spicy!

who cares JB...

Why on God's shake someone would make insteresting and especially spicy comments, for the fact that he was overlooked for A bike race in somewhere?

You don't care? You don't comment.
You care to comment? Then it's non A race, it's a race you wanted badly enough to take part in.

 

[Anonymous]

Why on God's shake someone would make insteresting and especially spicy comments, for the fact that he was overlooked for A bike race in somewhere?

You don't care? You don't comment.
You care to comment? Then it's non A race, it's a race you wanted badly enough to take part in.

i wonder if JB is more upset that his freinds at the aso have let him down..