The Dutch team Skil-Shimano has been awarded a wild card invitation to the Tour of Flanders, Wielerland.nl reported today. It is one of seven Professional Continental teams to earn a start, along with Belgian squads Landbouwkrediet, Topsport Vlaanderen, Veranda's Willems and French teams Cofidis, FDJ and Europcar.
Along with the wild cards, all 18 ProTeams complete a roster of 25 squads which will take part in the Ronde van Vlaanderen on April 3.
Invitations to World Calendar races are highly sought after this year, as new UCI rules take into account the points earned in the World Calendar races in calculating which teams will enter into the top division in 2012.
It was announced yesterday that Skil-Shimano earned a spot in another Spring Classic, the Amstel Gold Race.