Giro Donne invites released

One benefit (well, of a sort) of the loss of the Tour de l'Aude is that as the only 10 day race left on the calendar the Giro is going to have its strongest field for years. Now the list of invited teams is out and there are a few interesting points

HTC HIGHROAD WOMEN (United States)
NEDERLAND BLOEIT (Netherlands)
GARMIN - CERVELO (Great Britain)
HITEC PRODUCTS - UCK (Norway )
AA DRINK - LEONTIEN.NL CYCLING TEAM (Netherlands)
DIADORA - PASTA ZARA (United States)
FORNO D'ASOLO COLAVITA (Italy)
SC MCIPOLLINI GIAMBENINI (Italy)
TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN 2012 - RIDLEY TEAM (Belgium)
GAUSS (Italy)
LOTTO HONDA TEAM (Belgium)
VAIANO SOLARISTECH (Italy)
S.C. MICHELA FANINI ROX (Italy)
TOP GIRLS FASSA BORTOLO (Italy)
KLEO LADIES TEAM (Italy)
BIZKAIA-DURANGO (Spain)

Dutch National squad ( Netherlands)

Note that no French teams will be present, not even the National one, and that the large number of UCI teams present has also squeezed out the Australians.

12 months ago Monty. 36 comments 1 recs |

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people, please, a ban on putting important info in the fanshots?

pretty please? ;)

lol, interesting list there. i am surprised to see the austrailans out, and also, no US national team. maybe it’s a good sign that there are enough trade teams to fill the race? would be interesting to know if the national teams were invited and turned down their slots, or if they didn’t receive invites.

by Jen See on Jun 14, 2011 7:21 PM EDT reply actions

I think Team USA wouldn't be able to send a very strong team for the Giro

because so many of their last year’s riders are now riding for trade teams. Abbott and Neben, for example – and while they have some very promising riders who aren’t signed up for teams, it’s a good sign that the biggest race of the year doesn’t have room for them.

It also sends out a message about the professionalism of the race – you know, it’s a big race, for proper teams. I would love to see eg Tibco there next year

by Sarah Connolly on Jun 14, 2011 7:25 PM EDT up reply actions

I think it is a good sign for the race

that there are fewer national teams for sure. Sure, the US team would not be dominant like last year with Abbott, but there are some young up and coming riders here – and elsewhere – who would defo benefit from the experience.

by Jen See on Jun 14, 2011 7:31 PM EDT up reply actions

It would be fun for the riders coming through, for sure

But I can’t remember who was talking about this recently – someone who’s involved in it, possibly a rider somewhere, was saying how you’d never get the development teams etc in the TdF, and how much women’s cycling would benefit from having more separation in races between the different categories of teams – pro teams, other trade teams, national teams etc.

Of course, the solution could be to run a GiroBio for women too – in my imaginary future! How awesome would that be – a u23 women’s race, for helping the youngsters get experience!

by Sarah Connolly on Jun 14, 2011 7:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Agreed

the National teams bringing riders for experience is great in races like the Energiewacht Tour but the biggest races should have strong tradeteams only ideally and established riders like Neben and Abbott on Nat. teams is a panic solution that should be avoided.
(that said I’m VDS-bummed that Shara Gillow will not be riding)

by Jens on Jun 15, 2011 3:15 AM EDT up reply actions

I've been sitting on this one for a couple of days palnning to do a proper piece

but my French summary took me (and is still taking me) longer than I thought, and this really shouldn’t wait.

by Monty. on Jun 14, 2011 7:26 PM EDT up reply actions

sure

But this is easily long enough for a fanpost – and a fanpost would give me more flexiblity on the fp. It’s important enough for the fp for sure, it’s the biggest women’s stage race running now. Fanposts, I can bump, add a flipper, and add graphics. Fanshots? Bah.

LOL, not really your problem. Mine and SBN’s really :)

by Jen See on Jun 14, 2011 7:29 PM EDT up reply actions

also

For reference? I’m not wearing an Angry Editor Face. It’s definitely an Amused Editor Face. And a, Curses on Technology Face :D

by Jen See on Jun 14, 2011 7:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Do you have an angry editor face?

plus I would have felt greedy posting two stories to the front page at once.

by Monty. on Jun 14, 2011 7:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Ha ha, no

I have no Angry Editor Face. I just wanted to make sure the amusement was clear.

Biggest stage race on the women’s calendar? It’s fp. B’sides, isn’t greed good again?

by Jen See on Jun 14, 2011 7:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Why do you hate grey boxes Gav?

by Jens on Jun 15, 2011 3:17 AM EDT up reply actions

VERY interesting that there are no Aussies

I have been thinking about national teams for a while, and I think my current conclusion is that they give a get-out-of-jail-free card for some countries. For instance, I love the Aussie national team, don’t get me wrong, but they make it easier to justify the total lack of Aussie pro teams – ditto Team GB last year. It’s a massive shame for Carla Ryan (who tweeted a month or so back that she didn’t make the cut for Garvélo)

I’m surprised by Kleo – and much as I loved Eneritz, I raise my eyebrows at Bizkaia being there rather than GSD Gestion – but I think it’s a really good sign that women’s cycling is in a better place than recent years, that there are enough actual sponsored teams to fill the Giro.

by Sarah Connolly on Jun 14, 2011 7:22 PM EDT reply actions

Even more interestingly

It’s still on their schedule

by Monty. on Jun 14, 2011 7:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Very interesting

I wonder if we’ll see some more nationals added later, then?

Such a shame Team Aus can’t actually be Team Jayco! You know, a proper trade team, like their track team are!

by Sarah Connolly on Jun 14, 2011 7:40 PM EDT up reply actions

I wonder how much more that costs?

by Monty. on Jun 14, 2011 7:48 PM EDT up reply actions

I wondered if the issue was that Team Aus can pick & choose it's roster, but a trade team jayco would have to have a more fixed set of riders on the books?

by Sarah Connolly on Jun 15, 2011 6:10 AM EDT up reply actions

Colavita and Forno d'Asolo seem to manage it OK

and quite a few of these Aussies do ride track anyway

by Monty. on Jun 15, 2011 7:10 AM EDT up reply actions

Re the Dutch team being there, I can see why they're included

They’ll have Martine Bras and a whole load of riders who usually ride for trade teams there – can’t wait to see the startlist, and whether there’ll be riders who usually ride for Bloeit and AA, as well as the ones from the smaller-but-still-strong Dutch/mostly-Dutch teams

by Sarah Connolly on Jun 14, 2011 7:27 PM EDT reply actions

Regina Bruins from Skil

Roxanne Knetteman rode well last year, etc.

by Monty. on Jun 14, 2011 7:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Vera Koedooder was on my list...

I hope Bruins goes – I can’t recall seeing anything about her all year so far….

by Sarah Connolly on Jun 14, 2011 7:34 PM EDT up reply actions

I wonder how good the national team bailout-option is?

Ok, so the dutch have a shitload of good riders but they also have their riders spread out on a heap of smaller teams. I wonder if some consolidation wouldn’t be better in the long run? I don’t really know the economic realities behind this look but it feels like the fragmentation isn’t ideal for getting riders that can make a living on the sport.

by Jens on Jun 15, 2011 3:28 AM EDT up reply actions

Le ragazze giallo-fluor aka the girls in fluorescent yellow

have been doing a few recces of the Mortirolo. Luperini’s opinion – “A very difficult climb and an even more difficult descent because it’s dangerous and technical” Remember that they are climbing the easy side which is the one that the men always use for their descent, then descending that tricky uphill until they reach a supposedly easier diversion half-way down. After some of the protests at the men’s Giro I’ve been wondering if they will make any changes to the route.

by Monty. on Jun 15, 2011 4:40 AM EDT reply actions

Accoding to the Vroomen piece on race cars, wasn't the cancelling of the Crostis in the Giro because of the team car thing?

Source

I can’t see that happening in the women’s race – not the same level of caravan, for sure!

by Sarah Connolly on Jun 15, 2011 6:14 AM EDT up reply actions

The official reason they gave about the Crostis was team cars

whether you believe that or not is a different question. But the Edolo-Mortirolo which the men descend and the women will climb is 17km at an average of 6.7% and only a couple of stretches over 10%, while Grosio-Mortirolo which they will descend is 15km at an average of 8.3% with one section at 16%. I’ve been looking for videos of that climb, but most seem to be of the really nasty Mazzo ascent and from what I remember of that in the men’s Giro the steepest sections also seem to be particularly narrow with stone walls either side. Of course if they are all taking the time to check the course out then they should have a better idea what to expect.

by Monty. on Jun 15, 2011 7:27 AM EDT up reply actions

Here's someone's report from climbing Mazzo then descending Grosio

bald bloke, dressed as a cow, who didn’t take nearly enough photos on the descent

by Monty. on Jun 15, 2011 7:34 AM EDT up reply actions

Is it Willj?

by Sarah Connolly on Jun 15, 2011 9:19 AM EDT up reply actions

Haha, it IS Willj!

I got it from the “dressed as a cow”!

by Sarah Connolly on Jun 15, 2011 9:20 AM EDT up reply actions

mooo :)

yeah, the turn off to Grosio is above the 14% and 13% average kilometres of the Mazzo route …. which would be madness to descend.

As I remember, the Grosio descent is generally wider. Especially the lower half. Not to say it’s wide. But the Mazzo route is very, very narrow.

It’ll still be pretty fast and occasionally tricky, but I am glad they’ll skip the steepest stuff – it should be climbed slowly and not descended :).

moo

by Willj on Jun 15, 2011 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions

You've not come across Will's blog before

It’s great stuff, even if every other sentence you think while reading it is “you lucky bastard”

by Monty. on Jun 15, 2011 3:39 PM EDT up reply actions

I have, and I think the same thing - gah!

by Sarah Connolly on Jun 15, 2011 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions

I hope the riders make it down ok

at least they’re unlikely to be riding down en masse…

by Sarah Connolly on Jun 15, 2011 9:19 AM EDT up reply actions

Of course the Aussies wanted to go....

As previous posts have indicated, the Giro being the only long tour this year has meant greater interest from all the pro teams. This leaves little room for the National outfits. Once the numbers have been filled by pro teams (after all, there are only so many riders that organisers can manage in a race), it is open to the top ranked UCI nations. Of course, Holland is up there…Australia is unfortunately not :(.
And Jens…don’t be too disappointed about your VDS for the Giro, I think you’ll find Shara turning up somewhere, slightly unexpected ;)

by tiggers on Jun 15, 2011 1:51 PM EDT reply actions