Cycling News Flash for February 17, 2007
Edited by Laura Weislo
RCS Sport announces Giro wildcards
Astana, Tinkoff get wildcard slots
Angelo Zomegnan and Franco Ballerini
Photo ©: Sirotti
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Following through on its promise to invite 18 ProTour teams and four wildcards,
excluding Unibet.com, RCS Sport announced the invited teams for the 2007
Giro d'Italia today, giving ProTour team Astana one of the wildcard
spots.
Other wildcards include the Tinkoff Credit Systems team of Tyler Hamilton,
which wisely invited Giro organizer Angelo Zomegnan to their team launch
earlier this year, the Italian Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo squad of former
Giro winner Stefano Garzelli, and Ceramica Panaria-Navigare. The same
teams have been chosen for the Tirreno Adriatico, which begins March 14.
Teams missing out on selection include Serramenti
PVC Diquigiovanni-Selle Italia who had been hoping to win an invitation
through excellent performances in the Tour de Langkawi, Robbie Hunter's
Barloworld squad, Ceramica Flaminia, and Team LPR.
Team LPR did get the nod for Milano-Sanremo, and will join other wildcards
Acqua Sapone, Ceramica Panaria, Barloworld, Tinkoff Credit Systems and
Astana for La Classicissima.
The UCI and the ProTour teams have agreed
that actions of Grand Tour organizers RCS Sport, the ASO and Unipublic,
which have excluded Unibet.com, are in violation of ProTour rules, but
no course of action has been announced as of yet. Unibet.com's future
may be in jeopardy
unless they can participate in the races which are guaranteed under their
ProTour license.
Earlier this year, the ASO announced
that it would invite 18 ProTour teams, minus Unibet.com, and four wildcards
for Paris-Nice, the first event on the ProTour calendar, an action that
pushed the UCI to threaten
race organisers with cancelation. With Tirreno Adriatico taking place
directly after Paris-Nice, the UCI is now under even stronger pressure
to find a compromise with the Grand Tour organizers before the ProTour
is due to begin, and will likely meet with these groups in the near future.
Look for a reaction from UCI president Pat McQuaid in the Saturday First
Edition of Cyclingnews.
Teams for the Giro d'Italia
Ag2r Prévoyance (Fra)
Bouygues Telecom (Fra)
Caisse d'Epargne (Spa)
Cofidis (Fra)
Crédit Agricole (Fra)
Discovery Channel (USA)
Euskaltel-Euskadi (Spa)
Française Des Jeux (Fra)
Gerolsteiner (Ger)
Lampre-Fondital (Ita)
Liquigas (Ita)
Predictor-Lotto (Bel)
Quickstep-Innergetic (Bel)
Rabobank (Ned)
Saunier Duval-Prodir (Spa)
Team CSC (Den)
Milram (Ita)
T-Mobile (Ger)
Wildcards
Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo (Ita)
Astana (Swi)
Ceramica Panaria-Navigare (Irl)
Tinkoff Credit Systems (Ita)
Milano-Sanremo
Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo (Ita)*
AG2R Prevoyance (Fra)
Astana (Swi) *
Barloworld (GBr)*
Bouygues Telecom (Fra)
Caisse d’Epargne (Spa)
Ceramica Panaria-Navigare (Irl) *
Cofidis, le credit par telephone (Fra)
Credit Agricole (Fra)
Discovery Channel (USA)
Euskaltel-Euskadi (Spa)
Française des Jeux (Fra)
Gerolsteiner (Ger)
Lampre-Fondital (Ita)
Liquigas (Ita)
Predictor-Lotto (Bel)
Quick Step-Innergetic (Bel)
Rabobank (Ned)
Saunier Duval-Prodir (Spa)
Team CSC (Den)
Team L.P.R. (Swi) *
Team Milram (Ita)
Tinkoff Credit System (Ita) *
T-Mobile Team (Ger)
Tirreno Adriatico
Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo (Ita) *
AG2R Prevoyance (Fra)
Astana (Swi) *
Bouygues Telecom (Fra)
Caisse d’Epargne (Spa)
Ceramica Panaria-Navigare (Irl) *
Cofidis, le credit par telephone (Fra)
Credit Agricole (Fra)
Discovery Channel (USA)
Euskaltel-Euskadi (Spa)
Française des Jeux (Fra)
Gerolsteiner (Ger)
Lampre-Fondital (Ita)
Liquigas (Ita)
Predictor-Lotto (Bel)
Quick Step-Innergetic (Bel)
Rabobank (Ned)
Saunier Duval-Prodir (Spa)
Team CSC (Den)
Team Milram (Ita)
Tinkoff Credit System (Ita) *
T-Mobile Team (Ger)
Cyclingnews' recent coverage of the ProTour-Grand Tours split
October 4, 2008 - New ASO chief to maintain values
September 26, 2008 - UCI declares peace, appoints new VP
August 30, 2008 - UCI re-signs five ProTour races
August 22, 2008 - ProTour: Bouncing back or lame duck?
August 19, 2008 - Stapleton analyses 'world calendar'
August 18, 2008 - Feedback on 'world calendar'
August 18, 2008 - UCI announces 'world calendar'
Cyclingnews' complete coverage of the ProTour-Grand Tours split
(All rights reserved/Copyright Knapp Communications Pty Limited 2007)
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