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Vuelta a España organizers announced four wildcard teams for the 2017 grand tour, August 19-September 10. The three-week race will expand its geographical diversity with the inclusion of Colombian team Manzana Postobon and Irish team Aqua Blue Sport.
Team Colombia raced the 2015 Vuelta, and though its riders didn’t win a stage, Rodolfo Torres finished second on stage 16 to Frank Schleck, and he was seventh overall in the mountains classification. Manzana Postobon is home to Spaniard Antonio Piedra, who won stage 15 of the 2012 Vuelta.
Aqua Blue Sport has several top riders on its Pro Continental outfit, such as British National champion Adam Blythe and Norwegian Lars Petter Nordhaug, who won the 2012 GP Cycliste de Montreal and the 2015 Tour de Yorkshire when he was on Team Sky.
Along with those two squads, Vuelta organizers named French team Cofidis, home to sprinter Nacer Bouhanni who won two stages in the 2014 Vuelta. The fourth and final invited Pro Continental team is Spain’s Caja Rural, which is usually part of the race. Spanish journeyman David Arroyo is one of Caja Rural’s captains and winner of stage 18 of the 2008 Vuelta.
As the third and final grand tour of the season and part of the UCI’s WorldTour, the Vuelta will also include the 18 WorldTour teams.
2017 Vuelta a España wildcard teams
Cofidis (F)
Caja Rural (Sp)
Aqua Blue Sport (Irl)
Manzana Postobon (Col)