Talking Tactics: Teaming up

May 1, 2013 Tim Leave a comment

A three-week grand tour is not one race but a series of races within races. Each competing team has different objectives: general classification, sprints, one of the four main jerseys, individual stage wins or even just airtime for their sponsors.

With the 23 nine-man squads for the Giro being finalised this week, let’s take a look at a few examples of teams competing for different objectives over the next three weeks to understand how these lead to subtle variations in team composition. Continue reading →

Giro d'Italia

Giro d’Italia preview: Teams and sponsors (part 1)

April 30, 2013 Sheree 3 Comments

The 96th edition of the Giro d’Italia kicks off on Saturday with 19 WorldTour teams and four wild-card Pro Continental teams. Have you ever wondered about the mysterious sponsors whose names are plastered all over every available square inch of the riders and their equipment? If so, here’s the first of a two-part overview of the 23 teams, their title sponsors and most prominent riders. Continue reading →

Giro d'Italia, Stage races

Giro d’Italia: Teams and sponsors (part 1)

May 1, 2012 Sheree 1 Comment

The Giro d’Italia, the first of the year’s three Grand Tours, kicks off on Saturday with 198 riders representing the 18 WorldTour teams and four wild-card entries set to take to the start line.

Many fans will be familiar with the main riders in the peloton, but have you ever wondered who are the mysterious sponsors whose names are plastered all over every available square inch of the riders and their equipment? As the opening instalment of our race preview, here’s the first of a two-part overview of the 22 teams and their title sponsors, which reveals an eclectic mix of bike manufacturers, financial services providers, explosive manufacturers and even countries! Continue reading →