Following through on its promise to invite 18 ProTour teams and four wildcards, excluding...
Angelo Zomegnan and Franco Ballerini (Image credit: Sirotti)
Astana, Tinkoff get wildcard slots
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.
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Laura Weislo has been with Cyclingnews since 2006 after making a switch from a career in science. As Managing Editor, she coordinates coverage for North American events and global news. As former elite-level road racer who dabbled in cyclo-cross and track, Laura has a passion for all three disciplines. When not working she likes to go camping and explore lesser traveled roads, paths and gravel tracks. Laura specialises in covering doping, anti-doping, UCI governance and performing data analysis.
