The director of the Amstel Gold Race, Leo van Vliet, has announced the final wild card selections that will be a part of the twenty-four teams to participate in the Dutch Spring Classic. The last four wild cards were given to Cervélo TestTeam, BMC Racing, Topsport Vlaanderen and Landbouwkrediet. Previously Dutch Pro Continental teams Skil-Shimano and Vacansoleil were announced to have been invited to the race.
The 18 ProTour teams have all automatically received invitations to the event. In last year’s edition Russian Sergei Ivanov from the Katusha team won, with the Dutchmen Karsten Kroon and Robert Gesink finishing in second and third place.
There has been some speculation on whether BMC Racing would have a problem getting invites to the big races, but they were always a safe bet for the Amstel Gold Race when considering Kroon’s nationality and high placing in last year’s race. Now, Kroon will have the opportunity to try to reach the top step of the podium at home as he rides alongside World Champion Cadel Evans on the American team. Second-year squad Cervélo TestTeam will put their hopes for a good result on 2008 Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre and the emerging Irishman Philip Deignan.
The 24 teams that will participate in the 45th edition of the Amstel Gold Race are Rabobank, AG2R-La Mondiale, Euskaltel-Euskadi, Footon-Servetto, La Francaise des Jeux, Katusha, Liquigas-Doimo, Milram, Omega Pharma-Lotto, Quickstep-Ennergetic, Radio Shack, Saxo Bank, Astana, Garmin, HTC-Columbia, Caisse d’Epargne, Team Sky, Lampre, Vacansoleil, Skil-Shimano, BMC, Cervélo, Topsport Vlaanderen and Landbouwkrediet-Colnago.