Blue-and-white cycling team narrows Giro candidates

Israel Cycling Academy has chosen Canadian rider Guillaume Boivin as its fourth rider to secure a place in the ICA lineup to the historic Giro d’Italia.At the same time, the team staff has decided to narrow its list of candidates for the Giro, with Israeli champion Roy Goldstein and Dutchman Dennis van Winden to no longer be considered.The decision has left eight candidates fighting for four Academy jerseys for the Giro lineup, including the Israelis Guy Niv and Guy Sagiv, with at least one of them set to compete in the Grand Tour that will get under way in Jerusalem on May 4.After the opening stage in Jerusalem, the Giro will continue with road stages between Haifa and Tel Aviv (167 kilometers) and Beersheba and Eilat (226 km.) before heading to southern Italy.Boivin joined Krists Neilands, Ben Hermans and Ruben Plaza who had already booked their spots.The ICA will select the last four riders in late April after competing in Tour of Croatia, and Tour of the Alps races.“We decided to secure G’s [Guillaume Boivin’s] place in the Giro since he proved once and again his dedication to the team and his willingness to put the team good before his own ambitions,” said ICA Team Manager Kjell Carlstrom. “He is an experienced and strong rider that we need in the critical and decisive moments in Giro stages. I really wanted to let him know he is IN so he can relax his mind and prepare for the challenge.”As for the painful decision regarding Goldstein and van Winden he said, “Dennis was injured in his last race and needed multiple stitches.Unfortunately the injury will prevent him from preparing for the Giro. Roy is a rider who has made significant progress, but we feel he is not yet ready to the demands of a 21-day Grand Tour. He will race and further develop, reaching this level in the future.”Roy, who started the tour of Croatia on Tuesday, said, “I accept the decision by the professional staff and will move forward.”Boivin was thrilled at his selection. “I’m very proud to have earned my place on our Giro team. All the hard work over the past few years is paying off,” he said.“I want thank the team owners and managers for putting their trust in me.When Cannondale closed in 2014 it was a big blow to my career.Thanks to my wife and family’s support, I kept chasing my dreams. Now I’ll be back to the start of a Grand Tour with the ICA boys. Don’t get me wrong, we aren’t going there just to start the Giro. We are going there to race hard and try to make something special happen over the 21 stages. Yalla Academy!”