Wild Cards for Giro, T-A, MSR, IL Lombardia

The wild car team selections for this season's Giro d'Italia, Tirreno-Adriatico, Milan-Sanremo and Il Lombardia were announced by RCS Sport as follows:

Giro d’Italia (4-26 May)
ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI (ITA) (necessary selection based upon winning Coppa Italia 2012)
BARDIANI VALVOLE – CSF INOX (ITA)
COLOMBIA (COL)
VINI FANTINI (ITA)

Tirreno – Adriatico (6-12 March)
KATUSHA (RUS)
MTN – QHUBEKA (RSA)
TEAM NETAPP – ENDURA (GER)
VINI FANTINI (ITA)

Milano – Sanremo (17 March)
ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI (ITA)
BARDIANI VALVOLE – CSF INOX (ITA)
IAM CYCLING (SUI)
KATUSHA (RUS)
MTN – QHUBEKA (RSA)
TEAM EUROPCAR (FRA)
VINI FANTINI (ITA)

Il Lombardia (6 October)
ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI (ITA)
COLOMBIA (COL)
IAM CYCLING (SUI)
KATUSHA (RUS)
TEAM EUROPCAR (FRA)
TEAM NETAPP – ENDURA (GER)
VINI FANTINI (ITA)

Note: Katusha was not selected as a ProTour team, a decision they are appealing and have therefore been invited as above as a wild card; more here about Katusha.  The decision has left the number 1 ranked rider in the world, Joaquim Rodriguez, on the number 2 ranked team in the world, without the automatic invitations to the most important races. 

The following all receive automatic invitations as a result of having being selected as a ProTour teams:
AG2R La Mondiale (FRA)
ASTANA Pro Team (KAZ)
BMC Racing Team (USA)
Cannondale (ITA)
Euskaltel – Euskadi (ESP)
FDJ – Big Mat (FRA)
FORMER RABOBANK (NED)
Garmin – SHARP (USA)
Lampre – MERIDA (ITA)
Lotto Belisol (BEL)
Movistar Team (ESP)
OMEGA Pharma – Quickstep CYCLING TEAM (BEL)
ORICA - Greenedge (AUS)
Radioshack – Nissan (LUX)
SKY Procycling (GBR)
TEAM ARGOS – SHIMANO (NED)
Team Saxo - TINKOFF (DEN)
Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team (NED)

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