Overlooked for the Tour de France, the under-pressure Geox TMC team has been given the boost of a wildcard place for the Tour de Romandie. The Italian team joins French squad Europcar on the roster for the prestigious Swiss event, which comes in the final approach to the Giro d’Italia.
Carlos Sastre and Denis Menchov are its two team leaders and both are aiming to contest the Giro d’Italia. Mechov won it in 2009, while Sastre picked up two stage wins. They are relying on a wildcard invite but with the team having been given a wildcard to Milan-Sanremo - which is run by Giro organisers RCS Sport – and to the Tour de Romandie, hopes will be rising that it will gain access to the Italian Tour.
Menchov and Marcel Wyss will lead the team in the Swiss event, which takes place from April 26 – May 1 this year.
“Our line-up is full, with eighteen WorldTour teams and two of Pro Continental,” said race director Richard Chassot. “We chose Geox TMC-rather than other candidate teams precisely because of the presence in its ranks of Denis Menchov and Marcel Wyss.
“The Russian is arguably one of the best stage race riders at the moment, as evidenced by his victory in the Giro 2009 and most recently, last year's 2nd place in the final standings of the Tour de Romandie and the third in the Tour de France. As for Wyss, he finished 8th and the first Swiss [rider] in our race last year and we can imagine that he will continue to progress.”
Geox-TMC is an evolution from the Footon-Servetto team which existed last season. Menchov transferred over from Rabobank, while Sastre moved from the Cervélo Test Team.