Following their selection as two of the four wildcard teams for the 2012 Giro d’Italia, the Colnago CSF Bardiani and the Androni Giocattoli – Cipi teams have pledged to make their presences felt in the race in May and to add to the spectacle of the event.
"We learned with great joy the news of our participation in the Giro and the other big races organized by RCS Sport,” said Colnago CSF Bardiani sporting director Roberto Reverberi, thanking those organisers. “We are very excited to be at the start of the race with our riders, who won’t fail to provide entertainment.”
His team participated last year and performed solidly, helping to animate the race and being one of six teams which avoided penalties and thus shared victory in the Fair Play classification. In addition to that, Gianluca Brambilla led the mountains classification for two states and finished a solid fifth overall in that competition, while Manuel Belletti was third into Parma.
Reverberi sounds more ambitious about 2012. “We are preparing for a great season. This news gives us a strong boost, mainly in the Giro where we will try to show our best, as with all the other races that we were invited to.”
Sponsor Ernesto Colnago also makes clear that the squad will be aggressive. “It is an award for our riders and our team, and I am sure that together we will be protagonists on the roads of the Giro and beyond.”
The Androni Giocattoli – Cipi team were expecting an invite, with general manager Gianni Savio saying in October that he felt that the squad’s victory in the Italian team championship would once again secure it a place.
“It’s important to remember that there is an agreement between the Italian federation and the organizers of the Giro, saying that the best Italian team from the year before will get an invitation to the Giro,” he stated then.
However it was still important to get confirmation of that, which came today.
“We will honour the Giro d'Italia, just as we have always done,” he pledged in response. “We'll face the Giro with enthusiasm and determination to give a thrilling spectacle and to offer big emotions to all our fans.”
The team picked up Giro stage wins in 2011 via Angel Vicioso and Jose Rujano; the latter also finished seventh overall, third in the mountains classification and fourth in the points ranking.
He was third in 2005 and won the mountains classification. After several years in the wilderness, he’s determined to try to reach those heights again and 2011 was a good start.