Wild Card entries for Paris-Nice and Amstel Gold Race announced
Paris-Nice is one of the most awaited races in the 2012 season. The event is scheduled from March 4-11, and the race organisers have released the final list of teams for the coming season.
The wildcards entries have been granted to four continental teams for the coming edition of the race.
Three French teams, Cofidis, Saur-Sojasun and Team Europcar, have made their way through to the final list. Dutch side, Project 1T4I, has also been given the opportunity to ride at the Paris-Nice 2012.
A number of cyclists are eyeing the Paris-Nice as their main priority for the 2012 season. French cyclist, Sylvain Chavanel is also keen to make an impression at the home event.
He explained, “Like a lot of riders, my first objective is going to be Paris-Nice really, it’s the race that really starts my season, and from there until the end of April is the first really important period of the year for me”.
The 30-year-old continued, “A good Paris-Nice for me would be if I finished high up on general classification and won a stage, which I’ve had the habit of doing for the past number of years”.
Dutch team, Project 1T4I made it through to the Amstel Gold Race as well, it was announced today.
The other three teams to ride the event are: TopSport Vlaanderen-Mercator, Landbouwkrediet-Euphony and Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator.
All the World Tour teams have already qualified for both the races. A total number of 18 teams to ride the 2012 UCI events include two representations for France, Spain, America, Italy, Netherlands and Belgium.
Australia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Britain, Denmark and Luxembourg also have a team each representing them at the World Tour events.
The World Tour teams include, AG2R La Mondiale, Astana Pro Team, BMC Racing Team, Euskaltel-Euskadi, Fdj-Bigmat Katusha Team, Lampre-Isd, Liquigas-Cannondale and Garmin-Barracuda.
GreenEdge Cycling Team is all set to make its world tour debut in 2012. Other teams to ride the World Tour events include, Lotto Belisol Team, Movistar Team, Omega Pharma-Quickstep, Rabobank Cycling Team, RadioShack-Nissan, Sky Pro Cycling, Team Saxo Bank
and Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team.
Professional continental team, 1T4I has received the invitation for both the events, which provides a golden opportunity for the Dutch side to prove its strength in the season ahead.
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