The Giro d'Italia will take place without Linus Gerdemann and Gerald Ciolek this year. Your team MTN-Qhubeka was not given a wildcard for the race by the organizing organization RCS. The four places that the RCS provides for ProConti teams go to the same teams as in 2013: Androni Giocattoli was already certain as the best Italian team of the past season before the award, Bardiani-CSF, Yellow Fluo-Neri Sottoli and Colombia received their pledge today.
In addition to MTN-Qhubeka, the US team United HealthCare and the three-time Giro stage winner Robert Förster and the Spanish team Caja Rural around Luis Leon Sanchez also go away empty-handed. The cancellation is also bitter for the Swiss formation IAM around Heinrich Haussler, Sylvain Chavanel and Roger Kluge.
While it was to be expected that the teams Bardiani-CSF and Colombia would be given the wildcards, both teams were among the animators of the stages several times last May, the invitation of Luca Scinto's Yellow Fluo-Neri Sottoli may well come as a surprise. The drivers in the neon yellow jerseys also caused a stir, but not necessarily in a positive way. The doping cases of Danilo di Luca, who is now banned for life, and the stage winner Mauro Santambrogio overshadowed the race at the time.
The decision was justified by the technical director of the Giro d'Italia, Mauro Vegni, with the fact that “that we want to promote Italian cycling without making any compromises internationally, just like the ASO [Tour de France organizer] has done in recent years.”
In addition to the invitations for the fight for the pink jersey, the RCS also awarded the wildcards for the WorldTour races Tirreno-Adriatico, Milan - San Remo and the Tour of Lombardy.
While Ciolek has to do without the Giro, he can defend his title at Milan – San Remo. And the German team NetApp-Endura can also be happy and plan to participate in Tirreno-Adriatico, Milan - San Remo and the Lombardy Tour. The Raublinger had not applied for a wildcard at the Giro.
//Giro d'Italia
Androni Giocattoli (Italy) (Winner of the Coppa Italia)
Bardiani-CSF (Italy)
Colombia (Colombia)
Yellow Fluo-Neri Sottoli (Italy)
//Tirreno – Adriatico
Bardiani-CSF (Italy)
MTN-Qhubeka (South Africa)
IAM Cycling (Switzerland)
NetApp Endura (Germany)
//Milan-San Remo
Androni Giocattoli (Italy)
Bardiani-CSF (Italy)
IAM Cycling (Switzerland)
MTN-Qhubeka (South Africa)
Net App–Endura (Germany)
United Healthcare (USA)
Yellow Fluo-Neri Sottoli (Italy)
//Lombardy tour
Androni Giocattoli (Italy)
Bardiani-CSF (Italy)
Caja Rural – Seguros RGA (Spain)
Colombia (Colombia)
IAM Cycling (Switzerland)
NetApp Endura (Germany)
Yellow Fluo-Neri Sottoli (Italy)