Africa Rising, Geo-politics and a Spanish Horizon
I really do
feel sorry for Team MTN-Qhubeka. Less than a fortnight after being denied
a place in the Giro d’ Italia, Africa’s cycling team have now lost out on a wildcard
spot for this year’s edition of Le Tour. They say that good things come to
those who wait, but it must be frustrating for Doug
Ryder and his riders to be dealt a double-blow over the past fortnight.
Professional
sports can be cruel in many aspects, yet - in MTN-Qhubeka’s case at least - one
has to wonder whether the selection process was indeed unbiased. Given the
geopolitics of world cycling, it is difficult to assume that some the
selections are impartial. That said, let’s take a closer look at the wild card teams
selected for the respective Grand Tours:
Giro d’
Italia 2014:
- Androni
Giocattioli (Ita)
- Bardiani CSF
(Ita)
- Yellow Fluo
(Ita)
- Colombia (Col)
Tour de
France 2014:
- Cofidis (Fra)
- Bretagne - Seche Environnement (Fra)
- IAM Cycling
(Sui)
- NetApp Endura (Ger)
Each Grand
Tour selection seems to have a combination of national bias (understandable)
with some forward thinking. The inclusion of Team Colombia, NetApp Endura and
IAM Cycling is encouraging, those outfits most certainly deserving their place
amongst the sports elite. The presence of the Colombian outfit
in this year’s Giro is particularly deserving and a good omen, given their
exploits and panache in the 2013 edition of the Italian national tour. It is
great to see the resurgence of South American cycling on the international
stage, almost two decades after their initial impact on the European peloton.
With the other three Giro wild cards going to second division Italian
squads, it was always going to be difficult for Team MTN-Qhubeka to get a
start. Pro cycling can be very nationalistic, a fact that is so brilliantly
explained in Charly Wegelius’ “Domestique.”
Wegelius’ career was almost entirely Italian-based, where the term “wheeler-dealer”
is almost a pre-requisite as far as character traits go, rider or manager
notwithstanding. The plethora of such individuals as the irrepressible Gianni
Savio in management positions gives Italian cycling a unique identity, structure
and flair compared to other European nations. And the presence of these smaller
Italian squads does actually contribute to the quality of the racing (at least
from a television point of view), given their incessant attacking even if it
can sometimes be somewhat in vain.
The same is not necessarily true for the French teams selected for Le Tour. Whilst the Swiss IAM Cycling and German NetApp Endura most certainly deserve their place, I’m not sure what sort value Bretagne – Séché Environnement brings to the event. That is not to say they should be permanently relegated to lower divisions of the sport – cycling is hard enough as it is – but the likelihood of this squad actually contributing to the racing could be described as slim at best.
Cofidis on the other hand are one of the longest-lasting teams in the peleton. Given that they are French and can be expected to be in some breakaways sets them apart from Bretagne – Séché Environnement but it is unlikely that they will set the race on fire. A Tour de France without Cofidis would just not seem right though. But then the Giro and Le Tour are totally different races in most respects, their duration often seemingly the only common denominator. It is therefore unfair to label the smaller French squads as cannon fodder when they are up against the cream of world cycling in a race that has a fairly rigid (and downright brutal) dynamic.
The fact that Team MTN-Qhubeka are already looking towards securing an invite to the Vuelta a Espana is a testament to their positive outlook. Missing out on the Italian and French selections may turn out for the better, given the management’s wish to nurture African talent ahead of throwing them in the deep end. Perhaps the South African team could look towards NetApp Endura's example as a benchmark and inspiration, with the German squad having made their own Grand Tour debut in Spain in 2013. A stage win and solid GC result were just reward for NetApp Endura’s efforts, the squad having benefitted from a steady progression through ranks.
