Acquarone Blog/RCS Wildcards

[will10]

I suspect that it least on paper they won't be the worst WT team starting, that's all.

Out of interest, who do you think will turn up with a worse lineup?

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

green edge of course

 

[nobilis]

I would like to see a system where either world tour teams could withdraw from up to three races a year, or even sell their spots..

Then fdj could sell their giro spot to someone for a hundred thousand euros

With the current system of team selection for the top tier of cycling, teams hve to be everywhere in order to collect valuable points so no WT team would be willing to give up their spot in an important race if they had the choice to do it.

 

[Dutchsmurf]

Out of interest, who do you think will turn up with a worse lineup?

The Giro always has some WT teams sending a very weak lineup. Like next year I doubt Saxobank will be any good. Green edge is another candidate. Rabobank if none of the three are going might not be too exciting on paper, but might somehow surprise us all like last years. RadioShack depending on who is going. Basically most non Italian teams will send a questionable lineup.

 

[roundabout]

Out of interest, who do you think will turn up with a worse lineup?

This isn't a judgement on the teams but here are ones that I think won't have the deepest of lineups

Saxobank will have Majka and Haedo + his support cast

Lotto - De Clercq , De Greef (?), Henderson (?)

GE will have a sprinter who is not Goss and perhaps Weening

Although I suppose it's not unreasonable to think that Casar, Demare and perhaps Bonnet are worse.

 

[skidmark]

I think Androni and A&S are locks for the Giro - Androni are the best Italian team, have an overall contender, and A&S have 2 former Giro winners who can still feature strongly in breaks and for the mountains jersey, plus a great up&comer in Betancur.

It sounds like he really wants to invite it4i, actually, with the Kittel and Degenkolb name drops... I think the 'non-italian' invite will be them (my reasoning is that if they don't get in the Tour they'll send their A team to the Giro, but who knows), and the other invite will be between Farnese and Colnago. I would hope for the latter, I'm interested to see what Modolo can do in sprints now that he knows how to win, and whether Pozzovivo can stay healthy for 3 weeks. I dunno if Guardini is ready for real sprints, and I couldn't care less about Pippo.

 

[taiwan]

Ah I had thought 1T4I was protour.

Farnese Vini have a decent case for inclusion with Pozzato on the books, Guardini being one of the most promising sprinters, and Gatto having taken a great stage win last year. Colnago... not so much.

TT1 should have a fairly competitive roster, especially if Cobo et al go there, obviously. Otherwise Jure Kocjan and Daniele Colli can fight for intermediate stages. Beats watching someone riding for a top ten in GC.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

tt1 don't have a competitive team at all unless they get cobo. the team is laughable for a pct even. they also stand no chance with zomegnan out as he had diabetes

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

i don't know why i feel acquarone is close to do some big epic fail moment inviting the chinese or something.

I have a bad feeling about this. It sounds like he's in the pocket of the ****ing UCI.

I fear two non-Italian teams will be invited without any talented climbers on board. 1T4I and some other foreign team. Not Coldeportes, though.

 

[taiwan]

Well Colnago for example dissappeared without trace after the first stage last year, and the team's weakened since then if anything. Colli and Kocjan are two of the better guys that can sprint after a hard course, and intermediate stages are a bit more open than the GC or sprint stages (which only two or three riders are ever in contention for).

I suppose Colombia Coldeportes would be preferable to watch, and 1T4I would have better chances of winning a stage with Kittel (tad boring), but TT1 would be one of the better options IMO.

 

[skidmark]

tt1 don't have a competitive team at all unless they get cobo. the team is laughable for a pct even. they also stand no chance with zomegnan out as he had diabetes

And if they get Cobo I'd imagine they'd be happy with the Vuelta invitation that they'd undoubtedly get, as they certainly don't have a strong enough team to do 2 GTs in a year. I'd say they're out of the running for the Giro.

 

[jens_attacks]

tt1 don't have a competitive team at all unless they get cobo. the team is laughable for a pct even. they also stand no chance with zomegnan out as he had diabetes

also cobo said he doesn't want to ride il giro because he doesn't feel he's adapted to it.so they should be out of question

I have a bad feeling about this. It sounds like he's in the pocket of the ****ing UCI.

I fear two non-Italian teams will be invited without any talented climbers on board. 1T4I and some other foreign team. Not Coldeportes, though.

yep that's also what i fear
only the thought of champion system invited scares the shiit out of me.please keep your experiments for your bedroom mr acquarone.

 

[roundabout]

Well Colnago for example dissappeared without trace after the first stage last year, and the team's weakened since then if anything. Colli and Kocjan are two of the better guys that can sprint after a hard course, and intermediate stages are a bit more open than the GC or sprint stages (which only two or three riders are ever in contention for).

I suppose Colombia Coldeportes would be preferable to watch, and 1T4I would have better chances of winning a stage with Kittel (tad boring), but TT1 would be one of the better options IMO.

To be honest there aren't many intermediate stages. I would say 10, 11 (maybe), 12 and 16 are the stages that Colli/Kocjan can contest.

A rider like Modolo in top form can place well on more than 4 stages.

Edit: ok, they also have El Fares, the worse of the Efimkins and Callegarin (if he is fully recovered although even before his crash he didn't seem to be a rider he was 3 or so years ago) so there's reasonable depth.

Still, I am very much doubtful

 

[will10]

also cobo said he doesn't want to ride il giro because he doesn't feel he's adapted to it.so they should be out of question




yep that's also what i fear
only the thought of champion system invited scares the shiit out of me.please keep your experiments for your bedroom mr acquarone.

Come on now, who wouldn't want to see Kirsipuu aged 57 back at the Giro?

 

[Anonymous]

I have a bad feeling about this. It sounds like he's in the pocket of the ****ing UCI.
.

I would say the complete opposite. they are distancing themselves from the new uci/aso alliance. In fact RCS saying they are naming their teams in january, gets them away from the uci pressure to involve certain teams later in the year.

RCS are certainly not in the uci's pockets.

 

[taiwan]

To be honest there aren't many intermediate stages. I would say 10, 11 (maybe), 12 and 16 are the stages that Colli/Kocjan can contest.

A rider like Modolo in top form can place well on more than 4 stages.

Edit: ok, they also have El Fares, the worse of the Efimkins and Callegarin (if he is fully recovered although even before his crash he didn't seem to be a rider he was 3 or so years ago) so there's reasonable depth.

Still, I am very much doubtful

Yeah but working for Modolo to run 3rds and 4ths is IMO less worthwhile than putting credible all-rounders in breaks. It would be different if he looked to be contending for victory, but you'll potentially have Cav, Petacchi, Farrar, Greipel, Goss there (shoot me I don't know their schedules) leaving him with little to no chance.

 

[greenedge]

If GE send a strong team they might win a sprint stage. However i'm sure Goss will peak for the classics, then try to again for the TDF/ Olympics. That means no Giro. Weening/ Langeveld could try win in the mud. Davis could get some good lead outs from Howard/ Dean.
FDJ i would not send Casar. He's not a good enough climber ( to challenge for GT ) and he prefers the TDF. Demare will be too inexperienced to do the whole Giro. Also the best he would be able to do is a top 5. Who would be his lead out? Petit was superb at the WC but he is at Cofidis. Also EE will be sending a bad team. No Anton who is doing the Vuelta as his only GT apparently. Unless if Nieve goes there team will be worse than GE/ FDJ/ RSNT. Rabo are also not looking great. They might send Renshaw and Matthews though.
I don't really want Colnago in, over the other teams. I think Modolo and Pozzovivo should move to another team. I hope Kittel and Degenkold ensure that 1T4I get invited to M-SR.
I do not want Champion Systems in. Also if TT1 get an invite but have a newly strengthened team i would be fine with that.
I would love for Acqua to be in because of Betancur, Di Luca and Garzelli. Androni because of their climbers/ Ferrari for sprints. Coldportes because it would have a good message and they would have a climbing showdown with Androni. Farnese because of Pozzato and Guardini. Gatto is also good along with Ascani.
I would love for Acqua

 

[luckyboy]

This is how I'd rank them for the Giro..

Acqua & Sapone, Androni
Farnese Vini
Coldeportes
Team Type 1
Colnago
1T4I
Utensilnord
Champion System

It would be ridiculous if Champion System got anywhere a WorldTour event (Beijing excluded, but nobody gives a **** about that).

Disappointing that there are only 2 wildcards for Tirreno-Adriatico.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

I would say the complete opposite. they are distancing themselves from the new uci/aso alliance. In fact RCS saying they are naming their teams in january, gets them away from the uci pressure to involve certain teams later in the year.

How does this work, though? Are you saying the UCI can't pressure them right now?

 

[Anonymous]

How does this work, though? Are you saying the UCI can't pressure them right now?

as far as the wildcards go, they name them announce them and its done. No time for any political manouvering etc.

But generally, it was more aimed at the RCS in UCI's pocket.. I dont think they are.. Theres almost certainly something going on/they are up to something.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

as far as the wildcards go, they name them announce them and its done. No time for any political manouvering etc.

But generally, it was more aimed at the RCS in UCI's pocket.. I dont think they are.. Theres almost certainly something going on/they are up to something.

They are up to no good if Acquarone's blog is any indication. It's even worse if no one pressures them into UCI-like decisons, like, for instance, inviting a team with a "clean" or untarnished image that won't add anything to the race. Or the fact that they won't even try to issue a 5th wildcard.

I can sort of understand them grabbing Chinese money if the opportunity presents itself, but one or two more deserving teams will get screwed in the process.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

as far as the wildcards go, they name them announce them and its done. No time for any political manouvering etc.

But generally, it was more aimed at the RCS in UCI's pocket.. I dont think they are.. Theres almost certainly something going on/they are up to something.

you have a very good point. I think so too. I think changes now will only be better for future, also in terms of ethics. a friend of mine thinks acqua won't be invited because of di luca. we will see

after reading blog of acquarone I'm very positive now. I think the picks will be:

androni
farnese
coldeportes
acqua en sapone

 

[Anonymous]

you have a very good point. I think so too. I think changes now will only be better for future, also in terms of ethics. a friend of mine thinks acqua won't be invited because of di luca. we will see
e

theres some interesting political manouvering going on. Its a bit of a tangent, but RCS are very much out in the cold against the UCI and ASO. Beijing, Russia, Ports classic, all the babies of UCI and ASO together.

Aquarone has had some interesting meetings recently. At least one for instance with the media guys from sky (and Cioni has his new Italian role within the team), and several others.

I wonder who suggested that he started blogging for cyclingnews and engaging with the public non twitter etc.

Somethings afoot.

 

[theyoungest]

you have a very good point. I think so too. I think changes now will only be better for future, also in terms of ethics. a friend of mine thinks acqua won't be invited because of di luca. we will see

after reading blog of acquarone I'm very positive now. I think the picks will be:

androni
farnese
coldeportes
acqua en sapone

It's a matter of how you read it, I guess. He picks out Kittel ánd Degenkolb out of the current crop of young talent, and for what team do they both ride? He seems just as interested in Champion System as in Coldeportes, naming them both as "new opportunities", i.e. possibly interesting exotic entries.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

It would be ridiculous if Champion System got anywhere a WorldTour event (Beijing excluded, but nobody gives a **** about that).

Yea, I think they should perhaps do Beijing (I thought they might get TDU as well) and then concentrate on getting to a few European .HC and .1 races as well as making a big impression on the Asian calendar with races like Langkawi.

Races I'd be looking to target for them would include the Tour of Turkey, Tour of Austria (they potentially have some Austrians on the roster), Jayco Herald Sun Tour, Bayern, maybe some of the US-based races (Utah perhaps most likely, but no harm in trying to go to California or Colorado) with the Americans on the roster, Luxembourg and a few Low Countries one-day races.