Evan and BMC in Giro. Dope squad also invited.

/, Cervelo, Columbia, Giro d'Italia, Rabobank/Evan and BMC in Giro. Dope squad also invited.

Evan and BMC in Giro. Dope squad also invited.

Giro-bound.

Giro scorecard, please.

As always, a few surprises from Giro boss and impresario Angelo Zomegnan. Everything is drama and spectacle for Zomegnan, from the sexy girl route presentations to the team invitations.

But first, the no-surprise. The team of World Champion Cadel Evans, BMC is in. Evans had been vocal about riding the Giro to win and his early season results did much to advance the case that BMC would put on a show.

The big surprise was the inclusion of consistent dope squad Androni Giocattoli. Logic was just defied, insulted, maybe even slapped silly. Last Friday, Zomegnan said he would “quarantine” riders coming off doping suspensions and not allow them into his beloved Giro.

“In the past we’ve put our trust in a lot of riders by inviting them to our races when their suspensions had just ended. Yet they didn’t pay us back for the faith we showed in them because they quickly made the same mistakes,” said Zomegnan.

If the selection criteria is avoiding “the same mistakes,” then any team under the direction of Gianni Savio, currently the boss at Androni Giocattoli, is seriously open to question. Most likely by the police, UCI and WADA.

Less than two weeks ago, the team’s Massimo Giunti was suspended for EPO. Last year Francesco de Bonis tested positive for EPO in the first stage of the 2009 Giro d’Italia. That would be the race that Zomegnan runs.

Savio’s list of doped riders includes Davide Rebellin (CERA EPO), Giuseppe Muraglia (Growth Hormone) and Danilo Hando (Carphedon). As always, Savio’s reaction is shock and dismay. The real shock is how this team made the start list of a grand tour.

If Zomegnan doesn’t want Riccardo Ricco and Ceramica Flaminia embarrassing his Giro, you wonder how Androni Giocattoli crawled in. This kind of invite can only be secured by sending beautiful girls to a certain hotel room and a suitcase of cash in a certain car trunk. There can be no other explanation.

Dutch mis-treated. Also missing the Giro will be Vacansoleil and Skil-Shimano. The two Dutch teams battled each other for the last month in an attempt to win a spot. Sorry, fellas, you both lost. We will miss the team of the Sunny Vacationers. Hey, next time, do things the old school way: Zomegnan likes his ladies.

However, it was good news for the Bbox Bouygues Telecom squad. After a strong Paris-Nice, the B-b-boys, did what they had to do to lock down a spot. Crank the beat box, you’re riding the Giro.

In a mad, last-ditched attempt, Michael Ball tried to gain a Giro invitation for his top ranked Amateur squad Rock Racing. Negoiations fell through when Giro organizers could not agree on sizes for the $200 jeans.

So let’s keep you updated. No Ricco, no Radio Shack, yes on BMC, no on drag queens, yes, on dope squad Androni Giocattoli, no on Rock Racing.

Here is the complete list for the 2010 Giro d’Italia.

ProTour

Ag2R-La Mondiale
Astana
Caisse d’Epargne
Footon-Servetto
Garmin-Transitions
HTC-Columbia
Katusha
Lampre Farnese Vini
Liquigas-Doimo
Milram
Omega Pharma-Lotto
Quick Step
Rabobank
Saxo Bank
Sky Pro Cycling Team

Professional Continental

Acqua & Sapone
Androni-Diquigiovanni
Bbox Bouygues Telecom
BMC Racing Team
Cervelo TestTeam
Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne
Colnago-CSF Inox

By |2019-02-03T16:29:47-08:00March 22nd, 2010|BMC, Cervelo, Columbia, Giro d'Italia, Rabobank|8 Comments

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8 Comments

  1. Alex Simon March 22, 2010 at 9:11 am - Reply

    Wow – I felt for sure that Vacansoleil would make it. They’ve shown strongly in every race they’ve been in!

    • walshworld March 22, 2010 at 9:24 am - Reply

      Right you are, Alex. Love the Sunny Vacationer team and they have done well so far this season. They certainly belong more than Androni.

  2. Name (required)bruce March 24, 2010 at 3:46 pm - Reply

    Thanks for the gratuitous Giro cheescake photo-that was a pleasant surprise. You are showing your roots as an ad shill !

    • walshworld March 24, 2010 at 10:44 pm - Reply

      You got that right. Pandering is part of the overall strategy. Hard hitting opinion, comedic commentary and cheesecake.

  3. Skye Hussain July 12, 2010 at 9:32 am - Reply

    i just leave munching and eating cheesecakes, they are tasty and yummy;".

  4. Sophie Sanders October 10, 2010 at 12:11 am - Reply

    i'd love to munch those very big cheesecakes, they are really tasty and sweet:-~

  5. Qcuyoor April 11, 2020 at 3:58 pm - Reply

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