The final GC podium at Critérium International (L-R): Mathias Frank, Jean-Christophe Peraud and Tiago Machado(Image credit: AFP)
Ben King (Cannondale-Garmin) celebrates his victory at the Criterium International
The peloton on stage 1 of the Critérium International 2011(Image credit: AFP)
Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Shimano) also leads the young rider classification at Critérium International (Image credit: ASO/P.Perreve)
Cannondale, One Pro Cycling, Giant–Alpecin and IAM Cycling are amongst the 16 teams invited to ride this year’s Criterium International which takes place in Corsica in late March.
The two-day, three-stage race was once a serious early-season goal for many teams but has lost importance as the race calendar has evolved. Now the Criterium International is held on the same weekend as the Volta a Catalunya and Gent-Wevelgem WorldTour races. This year’s race will again take place around the southern port of Porto-Vecchio, that hosted the start of the Tour de France in 2013.
Organiser ASO seems happy with the event as part of the French Cup series and has invited eight French WorldTour, Professional Continental and Continental teams: AG2R-La Mondiale, Armée de Terre, Cofidis, Delko Marseille-Provence KTM, Direct Energie, FDJ, Fortuneo–Vital Concept, HP BTP–Auber 93, and Roubaix–Métropole Européenne de Lille.
Cannondale is likely to send new signing Pierre Rolland to the race and secured an invitation alongside fellow WorldTour teams IAM Cycling, AG2R-La Mondiale and Giant-Alpecin, although the recent training crash an injuries to of its six riders could affect the German team’s plans for the early season.
The British One Pro Cycling team has also secured an invitation just days after celebrating an invitation to the WorldTour ranked Tour de Pologne.
German teams Bora - Argon 18 and Stölting Service Group complete the 16 teams invited.
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