Cycling: The sports and media company RCS Sport distributed the wildcards for some Italian races yesterday. The awarding of the wildcards for the Giro d'Italia 2018 expected. But then there were no surprises. The Tour of Italy will take place without Damiano Cunego (Nippo-Vini Fantini) and without the Austrian Stefan Denifl (Aqua Blue Sport).
Giro 2018 without Gazprom-RusVelo and CCC Sprandi-Polkowice
The organizers were only able to award four wildcards for the Giro d'Italia 2018 - there were enough applicants. The teams Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec, Bardiani-CSF, Wilier Triestina and, for the first time, the Israel Cycling Academy will be there in May. This means that Nippo-Vini Fantini and Damiano Cunego are empty-handed, as is Aqua Blue Sport with Austria's Stefan Denifl. The two teams Gazprom-RusVelo and CCC Sprandi-Polkowice, who received a wild card for the Giro d'Italia last year, will not be at the start in 2018 either. At least Gazprom-RusVelo got an invitation for the one-day classic Milan-Sanremo.
Giro, le wild card: Androni, Israel, Wilier e Bardiani https://t.co/qc7j4QiiqZ #cycling pic.twitter.com/gqRRbLeApb
- LaGazzettadelloSport (@Gazzetta_it) 20 January 2018
Bardiani-CSF is rewarded again despite doping cases
The wildcard award to Bardiani-CSF caused some dissatisfaction among some fans, journalists and teams. The Italian team was less able to draw attention to itself last year through successes, but rather through positive doping cases. Just a day before the start of the 2017 Giro d'Italia, the team suspended Nicola Ruffoni and Stefano Pirazzi. The two Italians tested positive in training. However, they still took part in the team presentation because negative press was to be avoided. Now the team will be back at the Giro d'Italia in 2018. The star of the team is Andrea Guardini, who hopes to win a stage in the mass sprints. Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia relies on Jakub Mareczko. Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec got the wildcard because they could win the Ciclismo Cup and the Israel Cycling Academy is of course there because the tour starts in Israel.
#Turn wildcard for Bardiani despite the team was swimming in positive doping tests last year. As if it wasn't enough the race starts in Israel and removed “West” Jerusalem from their material. Sorry but what a joke.
— Mikkel Condé v2.0 (@mrconde) 20 January 2018
No Strade Bianche for cyclo crosser Wout Van Aert
In addition to the wildcards for the Giro d'Italia, the organizer RCS Sport has also invited teams for other Italian races. Unfortunately, the Crelan-Charles team went away empty-handed. The cyclist Wout Van Aert actually wanted to prove his skills at the Strade Bianche race in order to make himself attractive for a WorldTour team in road cycling. Whether the ASO will let him ride at Paris-Roubaix is still open. The following teams have received wildcards for the corresponding races in the 2018 calendar year. For the last monument of the year - the Lombardy tour - the wildcards will only be awarded during the course of the season.
- Giro d'Italia (May 4-27)
Androni Giocattoli Sidermec
Bardiani CSF
Wilier Triestina
Israel Cycling Academy - Strade Bianche (March 3)
Androni Giocattoli Sidermec
Nippo Vini Fantini - Tirreno-Adriatico (March 7-13)
Gazprom-RusVelo
Israel Cycling Academy
Nippo Vini Fantini
Wilier Triestina Selle Italia - Milan-Sanremo (March 17)
Androni Giocattoli Sidermec
Bardiani CSF
Nippo Vini Fantini
Wilier Triestina Selle Italia
Israel Cycling Academy
Gazprom-RusVelo
Cofidis