Giro Wild-cards Monday

[Mellow Velo]

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

I'm afraid that very weak line up is a good argument for no invite. Looks like last year's minus Cadel. We all know how they went:

Santaromita and Santambrogio not riding because of tour climbing support requirements?

No, if I saw that rider list as the prospective Giro line up, I'd be showing them the door.

 

[theyoungest]

I'm afraid that very weak line up is a good argument for no invite. Looks like last year's minus Cadel. We all know how they went:

Santaromita and Santambrogio not riding because of tour climbing support requirements?

No, if I saw that rider list as the prospective Giro line up, I'd be showing them the door.

Tschopp won a stage last year, and while slightly overrated by ACF, Ballan is still a big name... the rest of the squad is unbelievably poor, that's true.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Tschopp won a stage last year, and while slightly overrated by ACF, Ballan is still a big name... the rest of the squad is unbelievably poor, that's true.

That's about the size of it.
Don't get me wrong.
Too many teams chasing too few wildcards, because, as in 2006, the UCI have issued too many PT licences.
IMO, there should be 15, max.

Very few of these top teams are able to field quality teams for all the World Tour events.
Some teams are classics orientated, while other have stronger stage racing squads.
There is hardly a team that can do justice to the entire programme.

Given certain assumptions, I would only have an Anton led EE, out of all the aforementioned "unworthy" teams.
For all the talk of a decent Shack squad turning up, we all know that this is very unlikely, given their priorities and Bruyneel's history with Il Giro.
LEOPARD-TREK should be binned, as with all rubbish.
Ballan>Bennati, says it all.

I cannot understand how the ASO and RCS caved in and signed up for this system.

I hope Zomegnan goes rogue and invites some hungry, ambitious units.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I'm afraid that very weak line up is a good argument for no invite. Looks like last year's minus Cadel. We all know how they went:

Santaromita and Santambrogio not riding because of tour climbing support requirements?

No, if I saw that rider list as the prospective Giro line up, I'd be showing them the door.

100% I hope zomegnan does this. what a disgrace

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Not enough.

Just not good enough.

Would much rather see Colnago there than that.


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

I think you'll find they will still send a pretty ok team. Nothing special, but no worse then half the other PT teams are sending. Nothing wrong with giving Kruijswijk a go at leadership. Without Mollema I already expected this.
I'd expect a team something like this;
Kruijswijk
Bos
Weening (HE surely won't get a tour spot, but did quite well last year)
Clement
Van Emden
Leezer
Tankink
Brown Maybe as a leadout man.
And maybe one of the younger guys...

@MW
Totally agree, I am of the opinion there should be no more then 12 teams at PT level. ANd only all-round strong teams.
Not just 'classic teams' (i.e Quickstep, BMC)

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

they should leave rabo otu as well and vacansoleil and bmc and invite all italian teams plus geox, perfect

 

[craig1985]

Is Soler down to the Giro for Movistar, or is he down for the Tour?

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Is Soler down to the Giro for Movistar, or is he down for the Tour?

tour .

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Arroyo and Bruseghin will lead Movistar at the Giro, just like last year.

 

[theyoungest]

they should leave rabo otu as well and vacansoleil and bmc and invite all italian teams plus geox, perfect

GC-wise maybe they should. Although Rabo had 3 guys in the top-20 last year, whereas your friends from Colnago and Acqua e Sapone had none.

Otherwise just imagine Theo Bos is Colombian. See, suddenly their team seems a lot more interesting

I think you'll find they will still send a pretty ok team. Nothing special, but no worse then half the other PT teams are sending. Nothing wrong with giving Kruijswijk a go at leadership. Without Mollema I already expected this.

Slagter is also down to ride the Giro.

 

[staubsauger]

well the giro was vac main season as they have even without il cobra a very nice team with guys like de locomotive carrara marcato poels leukemans to animate the race as the giro is much more suited to there abillities as the tour. It would be very poor to leave this very talented team out just because there aren`t big names anymore just for a man that have shown nothing in recent 3 week gt, except from that one year he was full loaded with cera. Come on pozzovivo is a jerk. Actually i think that zomegnan never have signed that new agreement with the uci haven`t he? So in my opinion the suprise will be that he will invite the top 17 teams from last season including androni and is giving 4 wildcards to farnese visi, aqua i sapone, geox and colnago. So no vaca without ricco, maybe at least they have a rest chance because of carrara and marcato. Rabo with kruiswijk as leader would be very nice, if he is going for the maglia verde. He did well in the breakaways last year, so if he has grown up this year there`s a good chance to shine on that way and get that yearsey and maybe even a top 10 placement. Bmc is a shame for a pt squad. Rs i would say that popovych might be coming back from nowhere to a top 3 contender like savoldelli did years ago or leipheimer when he went back to bruyneel.

 

[Ryaguas]

Arroyo and Bruseghin will lead Movistar at the Giro, just like last year.

Beñat is just going to La Vuelta???
ahhh man... Beñat and Sicard should ride more... they are bringing them slowly but REALLY SLOW...

If they are not going to Le Tour they should go Giro - Vuelta... come on!!

For this Giro the requirement should be:
Do you have a clear and strong GC man?
Yes? Welcome
No? there is the door mate cya next year...
This Giro needs climbers... real climbers... with so many MTF bring a team only for the sprints is an insult... We haven't talked about HTC, but if they are going to Il Giro just for the sprints ------> there is the door...

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

well the giro was vac main season as they have even without il cobra a very nice team with guys like de locomotive carrara marcato poels leukemans to animate the race as the giro is much more suited to there abillities as the tour. It would be very poor to leave this very talented team out just because there aren`t big names anymore just for a man that have shown nothing in recent 3 week gt, except from that one year he was full loaded with cera. Come on pozzovivo is a jerk. Actually i think that zomegnan never have signed that new agreement with the uci haven`t he? So in my opinion the suprise will be that he will invite the top 17 teams from last season including androni and is giving 4 wildcards to farnese visi, aqua i sapone, geox and colnago. So no vaca without ricco, maybe at least they have a rest chance because of carrara and marcato. Rabo with kruiswijk as leader would be very nice, if he is going for the maglia verde. He did well in the breakaways last year, so if he has grown up this year there`s a good chance to shine on that way and get that yearsey and maybe even a top 10 placement. Bmc is a shame for a pt squad. Rs i would say that popovych might be coming back from nowhere to a top 3 contender like savoldelli did years ago or leipheimer when he went back to bruyneel.

both poels and leukemans won't be riding the giro anyway. poels goes to the tour and leukemans vuelta perhaps.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Beñat is just going to La Vuelta???
ahhh man... Beñat and Sicard should ride more... they are bringing them slowly but REALLY SLOW...

If they are not going to Le Tour they should go Giro - Vuelta... come on!!

For this Giro the requirement should be:
Do you have a clear and strong GC man?
Yes? Welcome
No? there is the door mate cya next year...
This Giro needs climbers... real climbers... with so many MTF bring a team only for the sprints is an insult... We haven't talked about HTC, but if they are going to Il Giro just for the sprints ------> there is the door...

1) Sicard is only in his second year and doesn't ride for Movistar. Maybe only one GT is right for him given that Euskaltel have only done 2 of late and the French press would go ballistic about him in the Tour.
2) Eusebio Unzué has ALWAYS brought on riders slowly.
3) Beñat Intxausti might ride the Giro or even the Tour as well as the Vuelta, but he won't be the leader at the Giro - Arroyo usually gets the Giro as his one time of year to ride for himself and Bruseghin targets it for obvious reasons. Both of them have podiumed the Giro, so why make Intxausti leader?
4) There are not 22 teams with a 'clear and strong' GC man to put in the Giro, so they can't just throw out teams without GC men - plus the race needs teams to do things other than sit back and hope for a good GC. It even needs sprinting teams, otherwise what would I be able to complain about? Who's Farnese Vini's 'clear and strong' GC man, Sinkewitz? They'll be good to have at the race though.
5) I wouldn't necessarily call Arroyo a 'clear and strong' GC man, but since last year's winner isn't starting it seems a bit absurd not to let the guy who came 2nd start because he's not clearly enough a GC man.

 

[Ryaguas]

Snip....

1) I know... that's why I put "They" (Eusebio e Igor) and not "He" (only Unzue) and ye... the french press always goes balistic with their young promises, the better example Di Gregorio tho...
2) I know... that's why I put "REALLY SLOW" as hiperbole
3)I didnt mean Beñat as leader but as protected rider... to get experience, maybe go for a win if He can and learn from ppl as Marzio...
4 and 5) Ye is just me dreaming... shouldnt be necessarily a clear and strong GC man but a good - very good climber, who can give battle in the very high mountains and fight for stage wins...

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

GC-wise maybe they should. Although Rabo had 3 guys in the top-20 last year, whereas your friends from Colnago and Acqua e Sapone had none.

Otherwise just imagine Theo Bos is Colombian. See, suddenly their team seems a lot more interesting


Slagter is also down to ride the Giro.

I figured he might. I have no expectations from slagter tho. I suspect most of his season will be invisible.

Bos will have a hard time on this route, but could be a great experience for his career.

 

[Barrus]

Bos will have a hard time on this route, but could be a great experience for his career.

To be quite honest, I doubt he'll be able to finish the entire giro. He does not really strike me as someone who will react well to several high mountain stages after another and I doubt Bos will get in within the time limit each time

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

To be quite honest, I doubt he'll be able to finish the entire giro. He does not really strike me as someone who will react well to several high mountain stages after another and I doubt Bos will get in within the time limit each time

I wouldn't bet against that, but you never know. If cav can....

 

[roundabout]

To be quite honest, I doubt he'll be able to finish the entire giro. He does not really strike me as someone who will react well to several high mountain stages after another and I doubt Bos will get in within the time limit each time

There is no reason for any sprinter (unless with a huge lead in the points standings) to keep going after stage 12.

 

[theyoungest]

To be quite honest, I doubt he'll be able to finish the entire giro. He does not really strike me as someone who will react well to several high mountain stages after another and I doubt Bos will get in within the time limit each time

His Vuelta results suggest otherwise. He crashed in the final TT, but for three weeks he made the time cut without any problems.

The first week doesn't seem awfully hard, there are definitely some opportunities for him (in theory at least). And like roundabout says, why even bother finishing the Giro.

 

[Havetts]

Lmao makes me wonder, in what time would Bos climb the Zoncolan? Atleast one hour slower than teh first .

 

[The Hitch]

Lmao makes me wonder, in what time would Bos climb the Zoncolan? Atleast one hour slower than teh first .

Theres a mega climb before the Zoncolan, so make that 2 hours

 

[craig1985]

Beñat is just going to La Vuelta???
ahhh man... Beñat and Sicard should ride more... they are bringing them slowly but REALLY SLOW...

If they are not going to Le Tour they should go Giro - Vuelta... come on!!

For this Giro the requirement should be:
Do you have a clear and strong GC man?
Yes? Welcome
No? there is the door mate cya next year...
This Giro needs climbers... real climbers... with so many MTF bring a team only for the sprints is an insult... We haven't talked about HTC, but if they are going to Il Giro just for the sprints ------> there is the door...

Pinotti is racing, and he'll be a good bet for the TT, and he came 9th last year.

1) Sicard is only in his second year and doesn't ride for Movistar. Maybe only one GT is right for him given that Euskaltel have only done 2 of late and the French press would go ballistic about him in the Tour.
2) Eusebio Unzué has ALWAYS brought on riders slowly.
3) Beñat Intxausti might ride the Giro or even the Tour as well as the Vuelta, but he won't be the leader at the Giro - Arroyo usually gets the Giro as his one time of year to ride for himself and Bruseghin targets it for obvious reasons. Both of them have podiumed the Giro, so why make Intxausti leader?
4) There are not 22 teams with a 'clear and strong' GC man to put in the Giro, so they can't just throw out teams without GC men - plus the race needs teams to do things other than sit back and hope for a good GC. It even needs sprinting teams, otherwise what would I be able to complain about? Who's Farnese Vini's 'clear and strong' GC man, Sinkewitz? They'll be good to have at the race though.
5) I wouldn't necessarily call Arroyo a 'clear and strong' GC man, but since last year's winner isn't starting it seems a bit absurd not to let the guy who came 2nd start because he's not clearly enough a GC man.

Well Sicard is doing the Vuelta, even though it will big PR for for EE for Sicard to ride the Tour.

 

[Mellow Velo]

No, I don't have the answers, just a bump.
I'm wondering what time we can expect today's announcement........

 

[theswordsman]

Tuttobiciweb says they've been announced, but they didn't list them yet.

Or maybe it's pushed back a week? Any Italian speakers?

Giro d'Italia, alle 14 l'annuncio delle formazioni invitate

Siamo alla volata finale: RCS ha annunciato che alle 14 ufficializzerà l'elenco delle formazioni invitate al prossimo Giro d'Italia.

http://www.tuttobiciweb.it/index.php?page=news&cod=36713&tp=n