Arkéa Samsic decline Giro d'Italia wildcard to focus on UCI Team Ranking

Team Arkéa Samsic have chosen to decline their participation at the Giro d'Italia so as to redirect their focus into the remaining calendar and on obtaining the maximum amount of UCI points as possible.

"It will be difficult to make a choice. It will no doubt be frustrating, because you don't want to withold yourself from the most beautiful races in the world," said Emmanuel Hubert, general manager of the French team.

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After finishing 2021 in second place of the UCI Team Ranking within the ProTeams, Arkéa have gotten the choice to participate in all World Tour races after the disband of Team Qhubeka NextHash. In a normal season perhaps this would not be the path Hubert would go down, but this year the focus is on the ranking.

Arkéa Samsic have the opportunity to be promoted to the World Tour if the UCI points racked up from 2020-2022 are enough to have the team within the Top18, where Alpecin - Fenix is certain to be, and where Lotto Soudal and Cofidis are at risk of relegating.

With that vision being put to place the focus will be on prioritizing the points and the French team have decided not to participate in the first Grand Tour of the season as they don't believe it's the most efficient way to obtaining them.