2012 Giro d'Italia wildcards:Who would you like to see?

[Libertine Seguros]

I hope they break the mold same for all grand tours invite less of the home country teams and a greater amount of the best teams from wherever they come from.

Team type 1
coldeportes
project 1t4i
plus

acqua & sapone

For me not going to happen but international teams might make the racing more interesting as they see this as away to promote sponsors so will animated the race more that the " home " teams which expect to get an invite.

Do you honestly actually believe that Team Type 1 is stronger than Farnese or Androni? Project 1t4i are strong. Coldeportes look to be strong but the lineup is mostly untested. But Androni have to be counted among the 4 strongest ProConti teams. Team Type 1? Honestly? Apart from Kocjan coming 6th in a few sprints and Bertogliatti getting in a break or two, what the hell would they contribute?

My opinion is that the wt system is unfair and greenedge, BMC and a few other teams which care little for the Giro should be content with invites for the Tour and Vuelta and let teams who dont get to ride GTs be invited.

Definitely. Until last year FDJ and Euskaltel used to hand their Giro invites back anyway. Though why saddle the Vuelta with the teams that don't offer it anything too?

the giro is almost dominated by local teams ever since its existance. it's the only gt where you see wildcard teams racing the the win even in gc like selle italia, or index back with savoldelli

Highest placed rider from a wildcard team in GTs:

2011 - Juan José Cobo (1st, Vuelta)
2010 - Ezequiel Mosquera (2nd, Vuelta)

 

[The Hitch]

This team will be wonderful at Giro 2012 OT

Saw that on fbk. What a great team.

 

[just some guy]

Do you honestly actually believe that Team Type 1 is stronger than Farnese or Androni? Project 1t4i are strong. Coldeportes look to be strong but the lineup is mostly untested. But Androni have to be counted among the 4 strongest ProConti teams. Team Type 1? Honestly? Apart from Kocjan coming 6th in a few sprints and Bertogliatti getting in a break or two, what the hell would they contribute?


Better than Androni no and I see that - but team type 1 would be a much better pick than Farnese imo. No the would not win much but they would smash themselves trying. My point being with crap WT system we have using picks from none national based teams is good for the sport.

Geox BMC and a few others when wildcards did great jobs but too many a peloton fonder, mix it up and get unknows to change some racing days.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

rider sgetting into breaks is pathetic if that's all what you can do. remember the abysmal failure and disgrace skil was in 2009 tour and especially van hummel.

 

[MADRAZO]

It must definetly be between the 4 "italian" teams and Coldesportes.

Coldesportes could be fun to watch and would do quite well, but I think they will propably miss out as it will be hard to choose between the other 4 teams. Androni with Rujano, Serpa, Sella, Felline, Rubiano etc. I think must be safe, both considering the teams strenght and recent Giro performances, but the other 3 are almost equal and hard to choose between.

Di Luca, Garzelli, Betancourt, Taborre, Napolitano ..
Guardini, Gatto, Pozzato, Ascani, Favilli ..
Pozzovivo, Modolo, Battaglin, Pirazzi, S.Locatelli..

Too bad though with the many worldtour-teams where many will come with weak lineups once again (Saxo with only Haedo and then Majka for GC for instance), hopefully the system will soon be changed so worldtourteams will only get to ride max 2 GTs, so that more procont-teams will also get the chance to ride 1 GT.

Coldesportes still might very well get a TDF (they should have about the same chance as Bretagne Shuller, Saur and Projekt1t4i for the remaining 2 after Europcar/Cofidis) or a Vuelta wild card (Caja Rural and Cofidis propably safe bets, and then they should have a good chance against likely topcandidates like Andalucia and Projekt1t4i or others like type1 (that I dont see getting any GC wildcards this season). So also therefore I myself hope for the 4 "italian" teams for the Giro.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

it would be humorous if they wouldn't get an invite to the tour either. I can't stand the team they have big mouths blabla but in the end never really any results nor do ther riders ever get better. only kittel has had somewhat of a breakthrough but he's only been in the team 1 year. all other talent they've had for years became bad or worse. wtf came from geniez, a huge talent. yet they pet themselves on the back saying how well they guide youngsters

It would be pure comedy. I hope Prudhomme took note of their ridiculous comments about how they were more deserving of a wildcard than Cofidis.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Androni for sure.

Farnese I think should be there for guardini, gatto and pozzato.

colnago... tbh I really wanna see Pozzovivo firing in the giro. One can hope right. Also modolo, pirazzi etc. Battaglin I'm not sure would ride giro this year.

Coldeportes would be a worthy team I'm sure.

sorry to say, but i prefer these teams then an aging Garzelli. But then there is the killer. poor season, but yeah.

they should give all 5 a wildcard imo.

 

[greenedge]

Every GT 50% of the local wildcards do nothing.

Cofidis/ Saur at the TDF. Andalucia at the Vuelta.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

It would be pure comedy. I hope Prudhomme took note of their ridiculous comments about how they were more deserving of a wildcard than Cofidis.

and also europcar. lol

 

[theyoungest]

it would be humorous if they wouldn't get an invite to the tour either. I can't stand the team they have big mouths blabla but in the end never really any results nor do ther riders ever get better. only kittel has had somewhat of a breakthrough but he's only been in the team 1 year. all other talent they've had for years became bad or worse. wtf came from geniez, a huge talent. yet they pet themselves on the back saying how well they guide youngsters

With Kittel they've struck gold though. And he's sort of their own "invention" as a sprinter. But you're right, he's about the only talent who really made it on Skil.

And no, they didn't say they were more deserving than Europcar.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

With Kittel they've struck gold though. And he's sort of their own "invention" as a sprinter. But you're right, he's about the only talent who really made it on Skil.

And no, they didn't say they were more deserving than Europcar.

my bad. he said cofidis and saur yes. based on sportive grounds. lol

 

[theyoungest]

my bad. he said cofidis and saur yes. based on sportive grounds. lol

With Degenkolb and Kittel, you could certainly argue that they have more to offer than Saur.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

let's say if I was an organiser and a weak team like itv1 would say that about possible other wildcard teamsd I'd throw them out. that's what I meant with lol. the incredible arrogance

 

[theyoungest]

let's say if I was an organiser and a weak team like itv1 would say that about possible other wildcard teamsd I'd throw them out. that's what I meant with lol. the incredible arrogance

They have to sell themselves, don't they? He could also have said "it will be hard, with incredibly strong teams like Saur also in contention" but that would be false modesty, even worse than arrogance.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

With Degenkolb and Kittel, you could certainly argue that they have more to offer than Saur.

Saur have more to offer to the French. They have Coppel who placed 14th in his first Tour - his first GT at that.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

They have to sell themselves, don't they? He could also have said "it will be hard, with incredibly strong teams like Saur also in contention" but that would be false modesty, even worse than arrogance.

they could've just **** their mouths and or say we hope to be invited

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

my god, you can;'t even say the word sh-ut on this forum...

 

[will10]

Saur have more to offer to the French. They have Coppel who placed 14th in his first Tour - his first GT at that.

Yeah, and how often did we see Coppel on TV this TdF on his way to that epic 14th place on GC? Finished just outside the top 10 overall doesn't mean you added anything to the race.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Yeah, and how often did we see Coppel on TV this TdF on his way to that epic 14th place on GC? Finished just outside the top 10 overall doesn't mean you added anything to the race.

I said: Saur have more to offer to the French. They didn't add anything to the race, obviously.

Kittel's sprint win at the Vuelta was far from impressive, so I doubt 1t4i would add much, either. Him and Sagan sprinted side by side for a good while and he couldn't really distance him. I doubt that Kittel would be a real threat to Cav at the Tour.

 

[will10]

Go on then, what do Saur offer to the French.

 

[plooton]

like to see there the third guy from the last Tour of Austria's second stage on Kitzbuheler Horn. Leo Konig from NetApp looks like promising rider, skilled in the mountains and rapidly improving over recent several years. Finish of the stage can see here (he beats there both Sastre or Menchov among others): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrbXnzwuEps

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Go on then, what do Saur offer to the French.

They're French. *shrugs*

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

like to see there the third guy from the last Tour of Austria's second stage on Kitzbuheler Horn. Leo Konig from NetApp looks like promising rider, skilled in the mountains and rapidly improving over recent several years. Finish of the stage can see here (he beats there both Sastre or Menchov among others): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrbXnzwuEps

I like König, too. But NetApp is far away from being a competitive team at a GT. No chance they will get an invitation.

 

[Sylvester]

my god, you can;'t even say the word sh-ut on this forum...

shut shut shut

OT: Project 1t4i would come to the Giro with a team filled with the likes of Bert De Backer, Koen De Kort, Simon Geschke, Yukihiro Doi, Johannes Fröhlinger, Mathieu Sprick, Roy Curvers and Albert Timmer. Thanks but no thanks. Having two good young sprinters (and do they both even want to ride the Giro?) just isn't enough for a Giro invitation.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

(and do they both even want to ride the Giro?)

The first two weeks, I guess. If Kittel makes it that far...