Giro d’Italia wildcards named, with controversial YellowFluo chosen

Giro d’Italia organizers RCS Sport named the four wildcard selections for the first Grand Tour of the year beginning May 9 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Although one squad, Italian pro continental outfit Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela, wasn’t a surprise since it won last year’s Coppa Italia, the inclusion of another Italian squad, YellowFluo-Neri Sotoli, was a head-scratcher. Last year under the banner of Vini Fantini-Selle Italia, the team had two riders, Mauro Santambrogio, eighth on GC and winner of Stage 14, and 2007 maglia rosa winner Danilo Di Luca, both test positive for EPO in samples taken at the race.

Also making their second consecutive appearance at the Giro will be Italian pro continental team Bardiani-CSF and Colombia. Among those missing out were South African team MTN-Qhubeka, American squad UnitedHealthcare and Swiss IAM Cycling, bolstered this year by the addition of Sylvain Chavanel. However, consolation comes in the form of RCS inviting MTN-Qhubeka to Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo, which the team’s Gerald Ciolek won last year. IAM will race Tirreno-Adriatico, Milan-San Remo and the Giro Il Lombardia, while UnitedHealthcare will feature in Milan-San Remo.

The announcement of the wildcards comes a little more than a week after the jerseys for the May race were revealed.

RCS issued a statement that defended its choices, saying they were “dictated by the opportunity – at this historic moment – to sustain the Italian movement, without ever losing sight of international development.” The organizers also pointed out that the four teams are members of the Movement for Credible Cycling.