Team Type 1 in running for Giro, Italian wild-card spots

Team Type 1′s Aldo Ilesic at the 2011 Crystal Cup. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com(file)

Team Type 1 is among 14 teams revealed by RCS Sport officials over the weekend to be in the running for wild-card invitations to race in the Giro d’Italia, Milan-San Remo, Tirreno-Adriatico and the Giro di Lombardia.

Team Type 1 rode a full European season in 2011, capped by victory at the Tour of Turkey, and is hoping to gain entry into even bigger races for the coming year.

Whether the U.S.-registered team makes the grade for the Giro remains to be seen, as only four wild-card spots will be in play and competition will be keen among Italian teams to earn a slot. Tirreno will only have two invites while Milan-San Remo and Lombardia, one-day races typically with eight-man teams, will have seven wild-card slots.

Other second-tier teams — including Accent Jobs, Bretagne-Schuller, Caja Rural, Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne, Spidertech, Topsport Vlaanderen, UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling Team — did not meet requirements or even apply.

Officials say the wild-card invitations will be revealed January 10.

Wild-card candidates for RCS races in 2012:
Androni Giocattoli (Ita)
Acqua Sapone (Ita)
Champion System Cycling Team (Chn)
Colnago-Csf Inox (Irl)
Colombia-Coldeportes (Col)
Farnese Vini (Gbr)
Landbouwkrediet (Bel)
Project 1T4I (Ned)
Rusvelo (Rus)
Saur Soyasun (Fra)
Team Europcar (Fra)
Team Netapp (Ger)
Team Type 1-Sanofi (Usa)
Utelsilnord Named (Irl)

FILED UNDER: Giro d’Italia / Road TAGS: Team Type 1