Raubling – 14 February 2012. Organisers of the Tour of Flanders have given their remaining wildcard to Team NetApp. After the team managed to secure an invitation to the Giro d'Italia, yet another top race has been added to their cycling calendar. The top-rated German team rounds out the second-league teams, which will be competing in the Ronde van Vlaanderen alongside the WorldTour teams.

“We're very excited. First, we were able to surprise our tour riders with the Giro d’Italia as the ultimate highlight of the season. Now comes an absolute classics highlight at one of the most famous races in the world,” Ralph Denk, Team NetApp’s team manager, said with excitement. 

“This news is extra motivation for the classics riders at the start of the season. Every classics rider’s heart beats faster just thinking about the narrow streets, the cobblestones and the difficult climbs. Of course, once again, it will be a huge challenge for us. But we’ll get the team ready just as we did last year for Roubaix,” Denk added.

“We had to choose among three teams for the last wildcard. NetApp was the team that convinced us. Their performance at Paris-Roubaix last year showed us that they enter a major race with an undaunted and aggressive spirit. This year, they’ve strengthened their classics squad considerably. They signed on a great Belgian talent, Jerome Baugnies, who already placed second at our U23 edition,” said Nicolas Denys, Managing Director of the Tour of Flanders, underlining the organisers’ decision.

The 96th running of the Tour of Flanders will be held on 1 April 2012. The riders will have to manage 17 climbs on a 255-km course, which has been changed for the first time.