Giro Wild-cards Monday

[Met de Versnelling]

No questions, you abs right but why he didnt invite them to Tirreno, this race needds much more adv than Giro? I cant find logical solution except somebody dont wanna seen Geox in peloton.

Saur weren't invited to this years Paris-Nice, but are to the Tour.

It's the same thing, gives a smaller team than Geox to show their stuff in a big race (T-A), and the bigger team has bigger fish to fry at the Giro.

If Zeke can ride, i want Vac in, if he can't, then i'm not sure. I want Colnago in there for Pozzo without a doubt.

To be honest, i want both of those. If BMC aren't bringing Evans, then drop them, or one of the smaller French teams. I'm interested to see who Sky finally confirm, given that's actually i rather big market for them to be prominent in.

A year too early (at least) for Team Type 1.

A few years ago I said the Pro Tour was too big at 20 teams with respect to wild cards, 18 is probably too high as well I guess.

Simple answer, drop each team to 8 riders, allows for more 2 teams.

 

[will10]

That was suggested a few years back as a solution, organisers said it wasn't logical for 3 week races, yes you have the same number of riders but you have 2 more teams worth of team cars, soigneurs, hotel rooms etc. It isn't sensible, the races are big enough as they are.

 

[jaylew]

ANgelo isnt stupid.

If he invites Geox he gets a super team. He gets a tdf winner and 3 time gt winner and possibly the best climbing squad around.

Its like taking candy from a baby.

Not to mention Geox's main sponsors are Italian. It would seem to be a no-brainer, but in this sport you never know...

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Not to mention Geox's main sponsors are Italian. It would seem to be a no-brainer, but in this sport you never know...

and not just any company in italy.

 

[Ryaguas]

Androni Giocattoli should get a spot, even without Sacrponi

An Squad Serpa, Monsalve, Rujano, Sella, Rodriguez, Vicioso is more than enough to be invited to Il Giro, also they are getting awesome results in this early season... They SHOULD be invited...

TBH I think for a Vacans fan (which I'm not) these tendentious articles could get annoying after a while.

They ARE ANNOYING... That's why I dont read CN anymore... just post here in the forum but I dont read the news here anymore... too much tendentious articles about Vacansoleil or Contador... that sux...

For the classics they already didn't need Ricco and Mosquera. They have Devolder (2x RVV winner), Leukemans (plenty top 5 + top 10 in RVV/PR and even in AGR), Marcato (top 10 AGR), Carrara, Hoogerland (top 5 lombardy), and so on.
For the grand tours, yes they miss a GC leader now, but they still have plenty of sprinting talent with Feillu and Bozic, which definately adds to a grand tour as well. For small tours Devolder can do well (top 3 suisse in the past) as well as Carrara and Poels and even Hoogerland if he peaks well (top 5 meditterraneen last year, 12th vuelta).

They simply have more than enough talent to justify a GT spot ahead of teams like Colnago, even without Ricco and Mosquera

But this Giro needs a GC rider... will be too special... mmmmm IMO since Evans is not coming I'd drop BMC or Leotard-sht cuz all their big guns are going to Le Tour...

Not to mention Geox's main sponsors are Italian. It would seem to be a no-brainer, but in this sport you never know...

Isn't Geox one of the main sponsors in Il Giro? I dont know I see almost impossible to see Geox-TMC out of the list...

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

androni are officially invited because they won the copa italia for teams in 2010, that was the deal with zomegnan. but you never know what that imbecile...

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I think ACF is probably right. TT1 will probably get in. Too many deserving teams - I'd say that now Pozzovivo has more chance of being a proper competitor for the race than Garzelli but as a former winner that will probably tip the scales in favour of Acqua e Sapone. Geox should be in but they appear to be a new Unibet. Maybe Zomegnan's surprise is that he doesn't give a flying one what the UCI say and is going to invite 22 Italian squads. After all, when this whole World Tour announcement took place Zomegnan was apoplectic that RCS had no representation in the discussion.

 

[Matthijs]

Geox will not get Giro, they even didnt got Tirreno (where Menchov and Sastre can be good) and Primavera so do you realy believe that they will?
Geox is the biggest mistake of Menchov but i suppose after WC presentation he will contract with Katusha or Astana

Menchov and Sastre doing short steep uphill sprints in Tireno??? Their both good in GT's, but can't ride anything else...

I hope Geox, A&S and Colnago get in and some lame ProTour team is dropped.
euskaltel for instance (do not believe anton is going te ride ftw in italy) or saxo bank (if contador doesn't ride).
Vacansoleil is just an excuse to make room for the Pozzovivo. I think that's ok, I just think Vacansoleil deserves a GT spot in the early season after missing all 3 in 2010. Riders tend to get stronger because of GT's, so early 2011 some of them should have a better autumn.

 

[The Hitch]

Menchov and Sastre doing short steep uphill sprints in Tireno??? Their both good in GT's, but can't ride anything else...

.

So i thought.

Until he podiumed in San Sebastian.

And Menchov podiumed Romandie.

With his tt and climbing skills i think he ould do well in classics.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Based on last year, anyone here think no Shack? That would be bit of surprise.

 

[craig1985]

Based on last year, anyone here think no Shack? That would be bit of surprise.

On the RS website they list themselves as riding, so in 2011 they do care about this race, when last year they cbf, but I think they have to be included. Who will be leading Rabo this year, TGBM? Or is he down to ride at the Tour, could you leave them out? If it wasn't for Antón riding the Giro then I dear say Euskaltel would have pulled out of the Giro. As much as I like Antón and Euskaltel and the course is made for him, I'm sort of disappointed that he is riding the Giro because it will mean a deserving Italian team will miss out under this rule of inviting the PT teams. Sorry ACF, but I wouldn't mind BMC missing out on the Giro.

 

[Ryaguas]

On the RS website they list themselves as riding, so in 2011 they do care about this race, when last year they cbf, but I think they have to be included. Who will be leading Rabo this year, TGBM? Or is he down to ride at the Tour, could you leave them out? If it wasn't for Antón riding the Giro then I dear say Euskaltel would have pulled out of the Giro. As much as I like Antón and Euskaltel and the course is made for him, I'm sort of disappointed that he is riding the Giro because it will mean a deserving Italian team will miss out under this rule of inviting the PT teams. Sorry ACF, but I wouldn't mind BMC missing out on the Giro.

I'd pull out:

BMC cuz Cuddles is not going
or
Leotard-Sht cuz all their big guns are going to Le Tour
or
Da Shack if They are only bringing their B squad... but I can take a Tiago - Horner team as enough
or
Rabobank cuz they are putting all their eggs in Le Tour... TGBM is not enough for this Giro
or
Euskaltel only if they are not going with Anton - Sicard in the team

Seeing that... BMC and Leotard-Sht must step aside and give his spot for A&S and Colnago... Garzelli - Betancourt and Pozzovivo must be there!

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Anton confirmed his giro participation.

Mollema is not riding the giro btw I suspect we might see Friere ride the giro. Rabo will want to ride tho, thier riders want to rider GTs, and making the tour sqaud will be very difficult, and they probably have too much quality to leave out.
Leopard, although not sending thier strongest team will probably field a good enough team aswell.

 

[LukeSchmid]

I would like to see TGBM lead Rabobank in the Giro, we could then see what he is really made of. I think he has some talent but how much?

 

[craig1985]

I would say for Leopard that Daniele Bennati will be doing the Giro, but not the Tour, and for GC or stage wins then the man is Brice Feillu who has stated that he is riding the Giro. Ryaguas, IIRC, Sicard is riding the Vuelta.

 

[theyoungest]

On the RS website they list themselves as riding, so in 2011 they do care about this race, when last year they cbf, but I think they have to be included. Who will be leading Rabo this year, TGBM? Or is he down to ride at the Tour, could you leave them out? If it wasn't for Antón riding the Giro then I dear say Euskaltel would have pulled out of the Giro. As much as I like Antón and Euskaltel and the course is made for him, I'm sort of disappointed that he is riding the Giro because it will mean a deserving Italian team will miss out under this rule of inviting the PT teams. Sorry ACF, but I wouldn't mind BMC missing out on the Giro.

Rabo will bring Theo Bos for the sprints, and Kruijswijk for GC.

 

[LukeSchmid]

Rabo will bring Theo Bos for the sprints, and Kruijswijk for GC.

Be interesting to see how Kruijswijk goes, did quite well last year for a youngester.

 

[The Hitch]

Rabo will bring Theo Bos for the sprints, and Kruijswijk for GC.

Not enough.

Just not good enough.

Would much rather see Colnago there than that.


Edit: Theo Bos is on my team. Carry on.

 

[kurtinsc]

I'd pull out:

BMC cuz Cuddles is not going
or
Leotard-Sht cuz all their big guns are going to Le Tour
or
Da Shack if They are only bringing their B squad... but I can take a Tiago - Horner team as enough
or
Rabobank cuz they are putting all their eggs in Le Tour... TGBM is not enough for this Giro
or
Euskaltel only if they are not going with Anton - Sicard in the team

Seeing that... BMC and Leotard-Sht must step aside and give his spot for A&S and Colnago... Garzelli - Betancourt and Pozzovivo must be there!

Just a point on the Shack... other then Brajkovic I kind of think their entire team is a "B" squad. Maybe "B+". When you look at Horner, Kloden, Machado and Leipheimer... none realy stand out from the others. I'm not even sure guys like Zubeldia, Deignan, Hermans and Popovych are that far off.

I think I've heard rumors that Machado and Popovych might be at this race as the leaders. They can send an interesting team... but frankly unless they send Brajkovic to any grand tour, I simply don't see a rider who would be able to actually compete for a podium on their squad... and he's a longshot. Lots of good GC guys, but no podium contenders.

 

[Matthijs]

Anton confirmed his giro participation.

Mollema is not riding the giro btw I suspect we might see Friere ride the giro. Rabo will want to ride tho, thier riders want to rider GTs, and making the tour sqaud will be very difficult, and they probably have too much quality to leave out.
Leopard, although not sending thier strongest team will probably field a good enough team aswell.

Freire has 'hooikoorts' alergic for grasses in spring so he's good before the real grow season (till AGR) and in summer/autumn and usually skips the Giro...

 

[Matthijs]

So i thought.

Until he podiumed in San Sebastian.

And Menchov podiumed Romandie.

With his tt and climbing skills i think he ould do well in classics.

They both focus on GT's in their career and earlier on in their career smaller stage races in Spain. And they both tend to be with the more slower steady pace climbers with a decent TT. Menchov more then Sastre, but on the other hand we know since the Giro 09 Menchov can sprint on a MTF even against a DiLuca on cera.
But I think Menchov tried the Ardennes enough at Rabo and never was a real front row men.
I wander, if classics 230k or 260k are the same as uphill sprints in Tireno though. Much shorter stages with much more opponents in the mix. It will be interesting to find out, I hope they don't just ride along with the bunch.

 

[The Hitch]

Zomegnan said there would be surprises. Its possible that he means what he says, in which case there will be some surprise.

Maybethe big surprise is a wildcard going to Team Christina Watches

That would shake things up a bit.

 

[craig1985]

Zomegnan picks one or two Colombian teams and Ryo messes his pants aws

(as we speak)

 

[auscyclefan94]

On the RS website they list themselves as riding, so in 2011 they do care about this race, when last year they cbf, but I think they have to be included. Who will be leading Rabo this year, TGBM? Or is he down to ride at the Tour, could you leave them out? If it wasn't for Antón riding the Giro then I dear say Euskaltel would have pulled out of the Giro. As much as I like Antón and Euskaltel and the course is made for him, I'm sort of disappointed that he is riding the Giro because it will mean a deserving Italian team will miss out under this rule of inviting the PT teams. Sorry ACF, but I wouldn't mind BMC missing out on the Giro.

I'd pull out:

BMC cuz Cuddles is not going
or
Leotard-Sht cuz all their big guns are going to Le Tour
or
Da Shack if They are only bringing their B squad... but I can take a Tiago - Horner team as enough
or
Rabobank cuz they are putting all their eggs in Le Tour... TGBM is not enough for this Giro
or
Euskaltel only if they are not going with Anton - Sicard in the team

Seeing that... BMC and Leotard-Sht must step aside and give his spot for A&S and Colnago... Garzelli - Betancourt and Pozzovivo must be there!

Ballan is riding so BMC will be in and Ballan being one of italy's top riders they will get a go. Surprsingly this year will be the first year Ballan has ridden il giro.

Ballan
Wyss
Kristoff
Tschopp
Barton
Schaer
Kohler
Beyer
Frank

 

[Barrus]

Rabobank cuz they are putting all their eggs in Le Tour... TGBM is not enough for this Giro

That was my idea last year, but really they gave a good showing, often in the breaks, 3 man in the top 20, just all around quite aggressive riding, with Kruijswijk and Mollema quite high up on the mountain stages. This, especially from a Dutch viewpoint was a really nice giro for them. It was just good to see the development of the young guys and the fact that they can perform very well, even in the third week.