How much is the wildcard invite worth?
specialgueststar
Posts: 3,418
Wanty GG must be feeling very happy for their (first) invite to the Tour- some strategic buying has paid off big time. Shame Westra won't be there but some talent in the team - and they performed well last year .
The other three teams (French) can almost count on entry and can plan there year accordingly without the pressure of WT attendance - I do feel Fortuneo have been very fortunate this year! I got behind the Bretons a couple of years back - but there roster seems a bit thin now to have serious ambitions - apart from the lets get caught at 10k days . Rompot ? I thought Caja Rural might have been a good bet - or even Nippo - Cunego is always a good watch
In terms of the Giro the selection of Bardiani-CSF, CCC Sprandi, Gazprom-Rusvelo and Wilier-Selle Italia at the expense of the Italian PCT teams seems to have set of a chain of events that looks like it will lead to the demise of at least one of the teams
I wonder how much an invite to the Tour is worth in real terms - advertising etc and akin to second division teams in the FA cup how much it allows for some bigger salaries to be paid
The other three teams (French) can almost count on entry and can plan there year accordingly without the pressure of WT attendance - I do feel Fortuneo have been very fortunate this year! I got behind the Bretons a couple of years back - but there roster seems a bit thin now to have serious ambitions - apart from the lets get caught at 10k days . Rompot ? I thought Caja Rural might have been a good bet - or even Nippo - Cunego is always a good watch
In terms of the Giro the selection of Bardiani-CSF, CCC Sprandi, Gazprom-Rusvelo and Wilier-Selle Italia at the expense of the Italian PCT teams seems to have set of a chain of events that looks like it will lead to the demise of at least one of the teams
I wonder how much an invite to the Tour is worth in real terms - advertising etc and akin to second division teams in the FA cup how much it allows for some bigger salaries to be paid
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Comments
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Fortuneo's best performances at the Tour last year came from Dan McLay, he's still riding for them this year and is a year older and stronger. He alone justifies their invite.
Nippo at the Tour because Cunego is a good watch? He has never shone at the Tour, bar a 6th place finish in 2011, and hasn't come close to a stage win. The rest of the squad is wafer thin, they don't deserve a Giro invite, never mind a Tour one.0 -
andyp wrote:Fortuneo's best performances at the Tour last year came from Dan McLay, he's still riding for them this year and is a year older and stronger. He alone justifies their invite.
Nippo at the Tour because Cunego is a good watch? He has never shone at the Tour, bar a 6th place finish in 2011, and hasn't come close to a stage win. The rest of the squad is wafer thin, they don't deserve a Giro invite, never mind a Tour one.
I also forgot Bikeradar favourite Sepulveda of course (Fortuneo)
Nippo - yes you are right - I got muddled up thinking Bardiani - that's what not drinking does to me
Cunego still worth a shout with no Giro - his performance in the mountains last year (Giro) was still a pleasure to watch and I thought he would get the (mountains) jersey at one point - second in the end of course - some resurrection - not sure why I'm arguing for him though - gone off on a tangent0 -
As they pointed out on The Cycling Podcast, the other teams HATED Nippo at last year's Giro, as they'd chase the break they'd missed, only to miss the next one that went, amongst other things0
