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Predict the Giro-Tour-Vuelta wildcards! (2nd edition)

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pastronef said:
Giro wild cards should have been announced this week, but there´s a delay.

Vegni is having a hard time deciding, and I fear there will be surprises. I´ve heard "Androni are lucky they won the Italian Cup last year" (that gives a Giro wild card)
Israel Cycling Academy is sure

Gazprom, Aquablue, Nippo, Wilier for 2 wild cards, I dont think Bardiani has any chance
I don't understand :confused:

They are better than all other Italian teams, that's not even a contest.
 
Savio has been dismissed by Vegni lately. Without winning the Italian cup there might've been no wildcard for Androni once again.

Bardiani eventually always gets invited. With the notable exception being 2009 after the Sella - Priamo incident. They've got Giulio Ciccone who should be back at his best in 2018 and already won a mountain stage 2 years ago at the age of 21. I think the surprise very well might be that Bardiani is in after all. They're the only major Italian farm team left. Somehow you need to invite them to the Giro because of this.
 
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staubsauger said:
Savio has been dismissed by Vegni lately. Without winning the Italian cup there might've been no wildcard for Androni once again.

Bardiani eventually always gets invited. With the notable exception being 2009 after the Sella - Priamo incident. They've got Giulio Ciccone who should be back at his best in 2018 and already won a mountain stage 2 years ago at the age of 21. I think the surprise very well might be that Bardiani is in after all. They're the only major Italian farm team left. Somehow you need to invite them to the Giro because of this.

and after the 2 positives on Giro´s eve last year (and they kept racing the Giro) I think there´s no place for them this year.
 
I hadn’t heard that Aquablue were in the running. It makes sporting sense given that they were one of only two PCT teams to win a GT stage last year, but they don’t have an existing relationship with RCS. Did they get even one RCS race invite last year?

(It could be that, like Gazprom and ICA there’s money being offered of course)
 
RCS always invites Yellowfluo besides Di Luca, Santa, Rambo etc. It would be a bit harsh to suddenly field an example on Bardiani, then. And Yellowfluo is an absolute useless team. Even with Mareczko who has been useless in the bunch sprints for 2 years now. Although this time around with Gorilla, Viviani and Ewan as competition he might in fact stand a chance.

I guess we might still end up with 5 wildcards. That's probably the reason for the delay. There's still some paperwork to do with the UCI.

Dammit, I hope they ain't gonna invite Israel Cycling Academy & Gazprom. One wildcard favored by a big paycheck is enough and Israel Cycling Academy has strengthen its rooster quite decently to be honest. With Foliforov being pack fodder nowadays and Firsanov being past his prime I see no reason to invite the Sowjets. Unless someone like Lil Zakaria or Rybalkin suddenly steps up big time.
 
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staubsauger said:
RCS always invites Yellowfluo besides Di Luca, Santa, Rambo etc. It would be a bit harsh to suddenly field an example on Bardiani, then. And Yellowfluo is an absolute useless team. Even with Mareczko who has been useless in the bunch sprints for 2 years now. Although this time around with Gorilla, Viviani and Ewan as competition he might in fact stand a chance.

I guess we might still end up with 5 wildcards. That's probably the reason for the delay. There's still some paperwork to do with the UCI.

Dammit, I hope they ain't gonna invite Israel Cycling Academy & Gazprom. One wildcard favored by a big paycheck is enough and Israel Cycling Academy has strengthen its rooster quite decently to be honest. With Foliforov being pack fodder nowadays and Firsanov being past his prime I see no reason to invite the Sowjets. Unless someone like Lil Zakaria or Rybalkin suddenly steps up big time.

Wait, why 5 wildcards?
 
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Zinoviev Letter said:
staubsauger said:
RCS always invites Yellowfluo besides Di Luca, Santa, Rambo etc. It would be a bit harsh to suddenly field an example on Bardiani, then. And Yellowfluo is an absolute useless team. Even with Mareczko who has been useless in the bunch sprints for 2 years now. Although this time around with Gorilla, Viviani and Ewan as competition he might in fact stand a chance.

I guess we might still end up with 5 wildcards. That's probably the reason for the delay. There's still some paperwork to do with the UCI.

Dammit, I hope they ain't gonna invite Israel Cycling Academy & Gazprom. One wildcard favored by a big paycheck is enough and Israel Cycling Academy has strengthen its rooster quite decently to be honest. With Foliforov being pack fodder nowadays and Firsanov being past his prime I see no reason to invite the Sowjets. Unless someone like Lil Zakaria or Rybalkin suddenly steps up big time.

Wait, why 5 wildcards?
Because Vegni's gonna make a great deal, so it's Italy first! :cool: :D

Zomegnan has done it before.
 
Yeah but with Ciccone (who despite taking most the season off gained almost half their points) they perhaps offer more on paper than Nippo as most their riders are kind of over the hill (Cunego, Ponzi, Santaromita etc.). Apart from Canola also they struggled a bit last year, especially now they've lost Filosi and De Negri. Although last year was truly very awful for Bardiani. However they are the last purely Italian feeder team left so there's also that.
 
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Brullnux said:
Yeah but with Ciccone (who despite taking most the season off gained almost half their points) they perhaps offer more on paper than Nippo as most their riders are kind of over the hill (Cunego, Ponzi, Santaromita etc.). Apart from Canola also they struggled a bit last year, especially now they've lost Filosi and De Negri. Although last year was truly very awful for Bardiani. However they are the last purely Italian feeder team left so there's also that.



You have doping violations then you are out

What message does it give otherwise

The sport is a joke
 
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HelloDolly said:
Brullnux said:
Yeah but with Ciccone (who despite taking most the season off gained almost half their points) they perhaps offer more on paper than Nippo as most their riders are kind of over the hill (Cunego, Ponzi, Santaromita etc.). Apart from Canola also they struggled a bit last year, especially now they've lost Filosi and De Negri. Although last year was truly very awful for Bardiani. However they are the last purely Italian feeder team left so there's also that.



You have doping violations then you are out

What message does it give otherwise

The sport is a joke
Honestly, a small pro-conti team is the least of your worries when Froome still hasn't been internally suspended by the biggest team in cycling today with a 'zero-tolerance' approach.

Anyway, it seems weird to start a precedent now when Vini fantini were allowed back after two big name doping scandals.
 
Anyone else feel the grand tours could done with the extra wildcard with the 20 man reduction in group size anyway. Bit sad Nippo not in with a Cunego farewell.

Alot teams reliant on trying make a GT and in current climate the supply is far below demand, teams like CCC and RusVelo as well as alot of US based PCT just won;t get in without a special sponsor.
 
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Sad for Cunego, but he hasn't been that good in years, I have to say that he was a decent KoM points hunter durning the first 2 weeks of the 2016 Giro.
Bardiani have Ciccone, Guardini for the sprints, a huge talent like Albanese, Senni and with Sterbini you have another solid climber, so overall I'm ok with the Giro wildcards.
 
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Ruudz0r said:
Coquard missing MSR, his 2nu goal of the season hè cant ride, lets see if he does get a wildcard for the AGR
Direct energy never got a wildcard for that race in recent years, so it's not a huge surprise, Cofidis and NOVO NORDISK are official sponsors of the race, so those teams will always get a wildcard.
 
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Mayomaniac said:
Ruudz0r said:
Coquard missing MSR, his 2nu goal of the season hè cant ride, lets see if he does get a wildcard for the AGR
Direct energy never got a wildcard for that race in recent years, so it's not a huge surprise, Cofidis and NOVO NORDISK are official sponsors of the race, so those teams will always get a wildcard.

One would wish Novo Nordisk would find some races to sponsor where they would actually be able to fill at least a somewhat decent team. Its such a shame a spot has to wasted on a completely useless team with no chance of any kind of succes, and a spot that indeed could have given the race another new winnercandidate in Coquard.
 
pirazzi.jpg
 
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Alexandre B. said:
According to L’Équipe, these will be the Vuelta wild-cards:

Caja Rural
Cofidis
Burgos - BH
Euskadi - Murias

Very generous of them...

And Kind of Predictable/ Expected if confirmed 100%
 

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