Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Tuesday, January 19, 2016

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Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not; a sense of humor to console him for what he is. - Francis Bacon

BikeRaceInfo is covering these races:

• January 17: Peoples Choice Classic, Australia (results now posted)
• January 18 - 24: Tour de San Luis, Argentina (stage 1 results posted)
• January 19 - 24: Santos Tour Down Under, Australia (stage 1 results posted)

Wild cards for Giro, Milano-San Remo and Tirreno-Adriatico announced

Since this was posted late yesterday, I'll leave it up today:

RCS Sport, organizer of the Giro d'Italia, Milano-San Remo and Tirreno-Adriatico, announced the wild card teams getting invitations to those races. The 17 World Tour teams get automatic invitations.

GIRO — The 99th edition of Giro d'Italia (6-29 May) will have a total of 22 teams. The wild cards are: Bardiani-CSF (Ita), Gazprom-Rusvelo (Rus), Nippo- Vini Fantini (Ita), Southeast-Venezuela (Ita).

TIRRENO-ADRIATICO — (9-15 March) There will be 23 teams eight racers. The wild cards: Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec (Ita), Bardiani-CSF (Ita), Bora-Argon 18 (Ger), Caja Rural-Seguros Rga (Spa), CCC Sprandi Polkowice (Pol).

MILANO-SAN REMO — At Milano-San Remo (19 March) 25 teams of 8 racers will participate. The seven wild cards are: Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec (Ita), Bardiani-CSF (Ita), Bora-Argon 18 (Ger), CCC Sprandi Polkowice (Pol), Cofidis Solutions Credits (Fra), Southeast-Venezuela (Ita), Team Novo Nordisk (USA).

BARDIANI-CSF CELEBRATES WILD CARDS FOR GIRO D’ITALIA, MILANO-SAN REMO AND TIRRENO-ADRIATICO

Bardiani-CSF Pro Cycling Team targets today one of its primary goal of 2016. RCS officially confirmed to the #GreenTeam the wild cards for UCI WorldTour races Giro d’Italia, Milano-Sanremo and Tirreno-Adriatico.

“For our team and for the sponsors we represent these wild cards are the best award of the good work and professionalism we always tried to show” said Roberto Reverberi, Bardiani-CSF team manager. “Giro d’Italia will be the main event of our season but we aim to be among the bests in every races, Milano-Sanremo first of all. We want to thank RCS for the trust they showed with its choice. We ensure to attend the events at our best and with the attacking sprit that always has been distinguished ourselves”.

Bardiani-CSF racing the first stage team time trial at the 2015 Giro

Since its foundation in 2013 Bardiani-CSF always achieved RCS races wild cards. During the three years activity stand out five stages wins at the Giro d’Italia – Battaglin in 2013, Pirazzi, Battaglin and Canola in 2014, Boem in 2015 – and the mountain classification jersey took by Pirazzi in 2013. The Italian won the same award at 2012 Tirreno-Adriatico.

Among the many good results took by the team, shines the 6th place of Colbrelli at 2014 Milano-Sanremo and a top ten placements series in Giro d’Italia and Tirreno-Adriatico stages. Another long list of good results has been taken in recent past when Bardiani and CSF were co-sponsors and during the 35 years activity of Reverberi’s teams.  

Williams wins solo, Garfoot second to keep overall lead at
Santos Women's Tour

ORICA-AIS has had a dream day on the road at the Santos Women’s Tour with Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic stage winner Lizzie Williams taking a solo victory as teammate Katrin Garfoot sprinted to second place behind her to retain the overall lead.

Lizzie Williams takes the stage in fine form

After an active race from the entire ORICA-AIS outfit, including a marathon solo effort by Australian champion Amanda Spratt in the blistering heat, Williams attacked a select group of seven riders with four kilometres to go and held on comfortably for the victory.

“We knew that we had strong girls out there and that we could get numbers in the final,” Williams said. “Spratty was just a workhorse out the front, dangling like a rabbit. She allowed us to sit on the whole time and ultimately I had the energy to go with about four kilometres to go. That’s teamwork.”

Behind, Williams’ former companions sprinted for minor honours. Garfoot narrowly edged out Lauren Kitchen (Hytec Products) for second place and retains the blue leader's jersey into the final day of racing. “I had to make sure I outsprinted Lauren to keep the jersey,” Garfoot said.  “I don’t know how I did it because I’m not a sprinter, but it was good for us. We’re really happy.”

The 34-year-old Australian time trial champion said the team was in the perfect position with numbers in the final lap. “Spratty was out there by herself, and we had four GC riders in our group, so Lizzie and myself could just sit on,” she explained. “Most of the work was done by Tiffany Cromwell and Lauren Kitchen, trying to get Spratty back.”

“By the time we caught Spratty we were nearly on the climb. I got told to go for it on the climb but that didn’t really work, so we waited until it came back together. It was cat and mouse from there, everyone of course covered me and not the others so Lizzie got away to take out the win.”

The Santos Women’s Tour wraps up tomorrow with a final stage criterium in Victoria Park.

How it happened: The peloton rolled out of Lyndoch for a four-lap 100.8km stage in extremely hot conditions for the penultimate day of racing at the Santos Women’s Tour.

The peloton remained together for the first 25.2km circuit before Erin Kinnealy (Nicheliving Vault) escaped off the front and rode out to a solo 40second lead.

Playing the team role, Tayler Wiles put herself of the front for ORICA-AIS and brought the race back together. Shortly after, Wiles and Spratt found themselves off the front in a strong breakaway of seven riders. The group rode out to almost one-minute advantage before they too were sucked back into the peloton but in an immediate regrouping, many of the same riders jumped off the front again.

Spratt found herself at the head of the race solo and as she crossed the start/finish line to begin the final lap, she had almost 30seconds advantage to a chase group of six, including teammates Williams and race leader Garfoot who were able to sit in and let other teams do the chasing.

Caught just before the climb, the race was now a battle of seven riders and with four kilometres to go Williams benefited from the heavy marking of teammate and race leader Garfoot to escape for a convincing solo win.

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