▁nine ▁rid ers , ▁giving ▁the ▁event ▁a ▁ 1 9 8 - r ider ▁pel ot on ▁at ▁its ▁out set . ▁ ▁The ▁race ' s ▁ 2 2   te ams ▁were : ▁ ▁Non - inv itation ▁of ▁Dutch ▁teams ▁The ▁G iro , ▁like ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁V uel ta ▁a ▁España ▁before ▁it ▁and ▁the ▁forth coming ▁Tour ▁de ▁France , ▁began ▁in ▁the ▁Netherlands . ▁The ▁two ▁Dutch ▁Professional ▁Cont inental ▁teams , ▁ ▁and ▁, ▁had ▁both ▁r idden ▁Grand ▁T ours ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁Through out ▁the ▁season , ▁the ▁two ▁teams ▁tried ▁to ▁prove ▁their ▁comb ativ eness ▁in ▁the ▁hopes ▁of ▁se cur ing ▁Grand ▁Tour ▁inv ites , ▁trying ▁especially ▁to ▁out do ▁one ▁another . ▁Since ▁the ▁open ings ▁to ▁the ▁G iro ▁and ▁the ▁Tour ▁were ▁partly ▁fin anced ▁by ▁Dutch ▁tax ▁money , ▁V ac ans ole il ' s ▁team ▁manager ▁called ▁for ▁political ▁help ▁to ▁get ▁inv ites ▁for ▁his ▁team , ▁but ▁neither ▁Dutch ▁team ▁made ▁it ▁into ▁either ▁the ▁G iro ▁or ▁the ▁Tour . ▁Con sequently , ▁neither ▁made ▁the ▁V uel ta ▁a ▁España ▁teams ▁selection , ▁either . ▁The ▁teams ' ▁disappoint ment ▁at ▁their ▁non - inv itation ▁led ▁to ▁communic ations ▁with ▁U CI ▁President ▁Pat ▁Mc Qu a id , ▁which ▁may ▁result ▁in ▁re forms ▁to ▁how ▁teams ▁are ▁selected ▁for ▁the ▁Grand ▁T ours . ▁ ▁Pre - race