2010 Vuelta a España wildcards

[The Sheep]

Xavi Tondó? Phil Deignan was top 10 last year.

They will probably also bring Theo Bos.

 

[offbyone]

Xavi Tondó? Phil Deignan was top 10 last year.


Spartacus and the Schlecks peaked for the Classics last year, rode the Tour, and started the Vuelta. Spartacus wore the maillot oro for seven days and won two stages, you might have recalled.


They're part of the 16-team agreement. They had to be invited. Plus, Pereiro.

Look, GC challengers aren't the ONLY thing that makes a Grand Tour team. Garmin don't offer anything for GC but won three stages last year, and with the likes of Iglinskiy on hand, and de la Fuente (who wore the mountains jersey for a couple of days last year), Astana have some options for other ways of keeping the race interesting.

Also, because of long flat stages with searing heat, lots of breakaways go the distance in the Vuelta with people who are out of the race. Therefore bringing in teams and riders willing to be part of that becomes more important than it would be at the Tour.

Tondo rode the giro and is probably riding the Tdf.
True about saxo, i don't know how those guys ride that race with all race days already in their legs.
I realize astana is part of the 16 team agreement i was just trying to point out that the trs roster would be more competitive than many teams going.


But again the only team talking a big game about the vuelta is GCE. I just don't like this theme where radioshack is being marked as the only team who doesn't make the vuelta one of their big goals and talking points all season. It is pretty common as far as I can see and radioshack would have a much better team than many are going to send.

 

[Barrus]

But again the only team talking a big game about the vuelta is GCE. I just don't like this theme where radioshack is being marked as the only team who doesn't make the vuelta one of their big goals and talking points all season. It is pretty common as far as I can see and radioshack would have a much better team than many are going to send.

The problem for many of the posters is more that RS downplayed the vuelta a lot, stating that the only important races were the Tour de France and the Tour of Cali, many now see this as a form of karma

 

[Publicus]

The problem for many of the posters is more that RS downplayed the vuelta a lot, stating that the only important races were the Tour de France and the Tour of Cali, many now see this as a form of karma

Not just the Vuelta. Virtually every other race on the calendar IMO.

 

[Barrus]

Not just the Vuelta. Virtually every other race on the calendar IMO.

I tried to focus it solely on the topic at hand, but yes you are correct

 

[Bicicleta]

The Vuelta organizers saw the e-mails from Dr. Kay asking that Floyd ride the Vueta for RadioShack. That is the big name they are holding out for. Kloden and Leipheimer who? Its Floyd they want.

 

[Anonymous]

Sky built a team around one guy with TdF as the ultimate target and they based all this around one race result. They have made it real clear that they are targeting the tour and no other race as their top priority. I just can't see how their vuelta team is going to be have a strong roster when all their big riders have targeted a different part of the season.

no they didnt. They created the team with the aim of producing a british tour de france winner within five years. Brad Wiggins is not that man.

Anyway, this is about the vuelta wild cards, there are plenty of sky threads.

 

[icefire]

With all their faults dismissing any race except TdF and ToC, RS could send a roster more competitive than a few of the teams in the list of 16 who don't need an invitation.

That list of 16 is killing the chances of some teams who can bring something to the race. From the wildcards, I just have doubts about Sky, but if they bring EBH and Flecha to hunt for stages they might do OK.

 

[peloton]

Cervelo being invited means that Sastre will ride the Vuelta?

I'm surprised RS was left out, but anything that gets Bruyneel worked out is fine by me, too bad for the riders though, but it was arrogant to skip the Giro, where they could have sent a decent roster.
The masterplan didn't play out in ToC....

 

[Mr.DNA]

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!

Just like in his book...

 

[hrotha]

Not sure if this is in the Vuelta's best interest, considering they need all the GC contenders they can get and RS might have contributed one or two. If they actually think RS will not have a competitive roster, it's pretty stupid. If this is about Bruyneel and co. dismissing other races including the Vuelta, it's probably even more stupid.

If they have reason to believe RS might not even be able to start, or that they would just bring a big scandal with them, then it's probably a wise decision.

 

[Publicus]

Not sure if this is in the Vuelta's best interest, considering they need all the GC contenders they can get and RS might have contributed one or two. If they actually think RS will not have a competitive roster, it's pretty stupid. If this is about Bruyneel and co. dismissing other races including the Vuelta, it's probably even more stupid.

If they have reason to believe RS might not even be able to start, or that they would just bring a big scandal with them, then it's probably a wise decision.

What if it's a combination of all three?????

 

[hrotha]

What if it's a combination of all three?????

Then it's time for Johan to start running in circles screaming like a schoolgirl.

 

[Publicus]

Then it's time for Johan to start running in circles screaming like a schoolgirl.

Which is what he is doing.

 

[MADRAZO]

Too bad Vacansoleil missed out again and also Radioshack can be rightfully dissapointed. They would have had a much stronger team than the very bad choise, Team Sky, and I had really looked forward to seeing Tiago Machado get his GT-debute. Also Team Katushya must be very satisfied with this selection as they like Team Sky will have used most of their firepower in the TDF, and also I think Team Garmin (with a tired Farrar and not much more) should have been chosen after Vacansoleil and Radioshack.

Hopefully the GT selections next year will be more just, so more teams will get to ride 1 GT and less teams will do all 3 GTs, something only few teams are capable of doing well.

A rule of teams max riding 2 GTs every year giving room for more teams and also guaranteeing some quality in the teamselections would be great..

 

[jaylew]

It would be interesting to see the potential rider list RS sent though I doubt that was the major issue.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

A rule of teams max riding 2 GTs every year giving room for more teams and also guaranteeing some quality in the teamselections would be great..

Very difficult. What would a team like Liquigas do? That would also have robbed us of Arroyo's fantastic Giro (with a French sponsor of a Spanish team, no way do they do the Giro).

 

[The Hitch]

Don't be surprised if Contador rides the Vuelta. He has been awfully coy about his post-TdF plans for this year. There have been mentions of someday doing the Tour-Vuelta double or the Giro-Tour double. He apparently wants to try both of the "doubles" some time in his career. I have no idea whether this year is the time, but wouldn't him count out just yet.
.

Would love to see Contador do the Vuelta

If it means anything, after the 2010 Vuelta route was announced, in December i think, Contador said he liked the route, especially the difficulty of some of the climbs and would like to take part.

 

[hfer07]

Conclusion: Next time the Netherlands wants to host some stages for the Tour, Giro or the vuelta, MAKE SURE THOSE DAMN RACES INCLUDE THE LOCAL TEAMS

 

[euanli]

Hopefully the GT selections next year will be more just, so more teams will get to ride 1 GT and less teams will do all 3 GTs, something only few teams are capable of doing well.

As far as I'm away they will be more just to an extent and will be based on points gathered from earlier races.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

As far as I'm away they will be more just to an extent and will be based on points gathered from earlier races.

The problem is, of course, lots of points are available in those big races, and so getting into those big races will mean you have more points available, making it easier to get into those big races. Also, the UCI's system for paying points is acknowledged as ridiculous.

 

[euanli]

http://johanbruyneel.com/news_articles/pressreleasenoninvitevuelta.html

This is hilarious. JB is making it his personal mission to ensure this doesn't happen again to any ProTour team. He is taking this to heart rather heavily. Someone needs to remind him what AIGCP is for

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Our 2010 Team goals were the Tour de France and the Tour of Spain.

Pull the other one, Johan.

I will fight for our rights and for other things that rightfully belong to us but we never get. There is an abuse of power.

So, it's your right to be invited to the Vuelta? Better read that 2008 agreement a little more closely, Johan. You're not on it.

Some organizers take away the hunger of potential sponsors to invest in our sport. It is unjust that a new sponsor, coming into cycling with a lot of enthusiasm, is not rewarded for their financial input. For me it is hard to explain to my sponsor that 21 other teams are apparently better than us.

Try discussing that with the head of Vacansoleil. Or Saur-Sojasun. Or Skil-Shimano. Teams that didn't get to go to ANY Grand Tours.

 

[thehog]

Pull the other one, Johan.


So, it's your right to be invited to the Vuelta? Better read that 2008 agreement a little more closely, Johan. You're not on it.


Try discussing that with the head of Vacansoleil. Or Saur-Sojasun. Or Skil-Shimano. Teams that didn't get to go to ANY Grand Tours.

“It is high time for ‘professional’ cycling to become professional. The structure of our sport needs to change towards a model of other successful professional sports like soccer, tennis, Formula 1, etc. Today, this is happening to our team and sponsors, tomorrow it could be any other team. Even if some parties don’t like to see or hear this, I will do anything which is in my power to contribute to making this happen.”

- Yes cycling needs to become more professional. Yes we need more teams who have team-wide systematic doping programs.

- and the Giro can go and get pharked because they didn't pay Lance to race. That’s how professional we are. We do what’s right for the sport not Lance's pocket.

 

[SpartacusRox]

At the end of the day, not having RS at the race merely weakens the race. Any time you have a race without one of the top teams and thereby a weaker field is a pity.