As anticipated on Tuesday, RCS Sport, organizer of the Giro d’Italia, announced the four wildcard teams invited to the 2017 edition of the Italian grand tour Wednesday. Only two of Italy’s four Pro Continental teams were given the nod, leaving Nippo – Vini Fantini and Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec off in favor of Polish team CCC Sprandi Polkowice and Russian squad Gazprom – Rusvelo.
In addition to CCC and Gazprom, RCS named Italian teams Bardiani CSF and Wilier Triestina for the season’s first grand tour, May 5-28. The UCI’s 18 WorldTour teams are automatically invited to the race as well.
Although it is home to 2004 Giro champion Damiano Cunego, Nippo – Vini Fantini has yet to win a Giro stage in its two years as a Pro Continental squad. Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec’s last laurels at the Corsa Rosa came in 2012, when Miguel Angel Rubiano won stage 5 and Roberto Ferrari claimed stage 10. However, the team was not invited to the 2016 Giro.
CCC Sprandi Polkowice has yet to win a stage at the Giro, although it is rumored that the race will kick off in the team’s homeland, Poland, for 2018. Alexander Foliforov won Gazprom – Rusvelo’s first Giro stage in 2016, the stage 15 uphill time trial on Alpe di Siusi. Last year’s edition was also the Russian team’s first participation in the Giro.
RCS Sport promotes other major WorldTour races, and in addition to announcing the Giro wildcards, it picked Pro Continental teams for Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico, and Milano-Sanremo. WorldTour teams are automatically invited to these races as well.
Strade Bianche (March 4)
Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec (I)
Bardiani CSF (I)
Nippo – Vini Fantini (I)
Tirreno-Adriatico (March 8-14)
Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec (I)
Bardiani CSF (I)
Nippo – Vini Fantini (I)
Novo Nordisk (US)
Milano-Sanremo (March 18)
Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec (I)
Bardiani CSF (I)
Cofidis (F)
Gazprom – Rusvelo (Rus)
Nippo – Vini Fantini (I)
Novo Nordisk (US)
Wilier Triestina (I)
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