Route and teams of the fifth Montepaschi-Strade Bianche announced

[la.margna]

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/7150/Route-and-teams-of-the-fifth-Montepaschi-Strade-Bianche-announced.aspx#ixzz1BXkvmVHY

I really admire the strade bianche race. Therefore, I agree with the writer and question the team selection. Strade bianche without Katusha (Pozzato/Kolobnev), Astana, Sky, ...

Sad. But let's hope it's nevertheless gonna be a great race again and maybe team selection might still be adapted, considering the highly questionnable selection...

 

[Ferminal]

Why only 14 teams?

 

[AntonioRossi]

and no dutch teams

 

[rxgqgxnyfz]

It's like they want to clear the field for italians and get rid of those pesky foreigners who keep winning this race.

 

[joy118118]

what is rcs thinking?

 

[jaylew]

They leave out the entire podium from last year? Lame.

 

[Ferminal]

May as well give it to Cancellara or Cuddles already.

 

[royalpig180]

This race has been growing really well over the last few years, but to continue the growth, the organizer should make sure the best riders have the opportunity to ride it... Team selections like these will not help it continue to rise in the sport. I'd have thought that having the defending champion would have been enough to get Astana in at least.

 

[Jukebox]

No defending champ, lame. 14 teams seems tiny, there were never any issues with too many riders in years past either.

 

[bastigon]

What a joke. And I thought this race were going to become a classic and they just throw it down the basket with the invitations.

 

[stefrees]

There may have been a mess up on the press release, brailsford said last night that they were riding so maybe missed off other teams?

 

[Jamsque]

I feel like this must have been an error, 14 teams can't be right. Unless the organisers had some financial crisis or lost a sponsor and we didn't hear about it?

 

[L'arriviste]

So 14 teams were announced (total of only 112 riders), but perhaps that's not all of them yet, just the ones the organisers confirmed.

Not inviting Katusha, Sky, Astana or Rabo seems unthinkable to me, especially if the race wants to grow.

 

[kanari]

How many teams were racing last year?

 

[L'arriviste]

How many teams were racing last year?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/montepaschi-strade-bianche-start-list

Surprisingly, only 15.

 

[auscyclefan94]

May as well give it to Cancellara or Cuddles already.

Doubt Cuddles will have the form as it will be his first race for the season.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

you guys don't understand this at all. this race is for italy and italian tv. they don't care for teams like sky or astana. they want just a small bunch of italian teams like back in the old days when races never had more than 12-14 teams.

 

[rxgqgxnyfz]

you guys don't understand this at all. this race is for italy and italian tv. they don't care for teams like sky or astana. they want just a small bunch of italian teams like back in the old days when races never had more than 12-14 teams.

Problem with this statement is that this particular never actually seen those old days, being on its just fourth installment.

Another problem is presence of Pozatto and Gasparotto (just two italians who could have targeted this race from the top of my head) in those non-italian teams.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Problem with this statement is that this particular never actually seen those old days, being on its just fourth installment.

Another problem is presence of Pozatto and Gasparotto (just two italians who could have targeted this race from the top of my head) in those non-italian teams.

Pozzato? Please. The only things Pippo Pozzato targets are tattoo parlours and Tom Boonen's back wheel.

 

[Roland Rat]

you guys don't understand this at all. this race is for italy and italian tv. they don't care for teams like sky or astana. they want just a small bunch of italian teams like back in the old days when races never had more than 12-14 teams.

On the one hand I applaud the organisers for this, but on the other I think they're a bunch of idiots.

But surely inviting Sky would be beneficial for the Italian TV bit, seeing as Sky Italy are involved in theteam.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Doubt Cuddles will have the form as it will be his first race for the season.

hasn't stopped you from tipping him before
he will still be up there tho, I bet.

and yeah, 14 teams is not a bad thing... Oh no sky, astana, rabo etc don't get to race... blah. who cares.
If anything it will make the race less controlled, and thus attack galore.

what was Gilbert's stance on this race.. go, no go?

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

@ rxg. that doesn't have anything to do with this. they ride unpaved roads like before and just after the war. it's purely nostalgic race for italians. if you know italy wel you would understand how that country almost lives on nostalgia. it's purely heroic.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

On the one hand I applaud the organisers for this, but on the other I think they're a bunch of idiots.

But surely inviting Sky would be beneficial for the Italian TV bit, seeing as Sky Italy are involved in theteam.

that only matters to the sponsor, this race isn't broadcasted on sky so why would the organiser care??

it may seem racist but that's italy.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

that doesn't have anything to do with this. they ride unpaved roads like before and just after the war. it's purely nostalgic race for italians. if you know italy wel you would understand how that country almost lives on nostalgia. it's purely heroic.

I'm not questioning, nor suggesting i care about the reasoning about the team selection. Just pointing out it probably means better entertainment.

You might have been directing that comment to someone else tho, whatevz
edit; yep

oh yeah, and the real travesty would be if there is no live stream again.

 

[Roland Rat]

that only matters to the sponsor, this race isn't broadcasted on sky so why would the organiser care??

it may seem racist but that's italy.

Because if it's broadcast on Sky the organiser can charge more to sponsor the race and in TV rights.

And I wanted to watch the last hour or so live!