So....Slipstream rumours
Cycling4All reporting that
USA Professional team Slipstream has big plans for next year and gives some hope for a new future of pro-cycling. Under the management of ex-pro rider Jonathan Vaughters, assisted by a.o. ex-pro Frankie Andreu, the team seems to have (pre-)contracted already several top-riders for next year. Named are a.o.
Marcus Backstedt (Swe) = Liquigas; David Cañada Gracia (Spa) and David Millar (GBr) = both Saunier; Christophe Laurent (Fra) = Crédit Agricole; David Zabriskie (Usa) = Team Riis; Martijn Maaskant (Ned) = Rabo Continental, who should have signed for 2 years leider, while also Jérôme Pineau (Fra) and Thomas Voeckler (Fra) = both Bouyges Telecom seems to be contracted.
New sponsor of the team will be Chipotle (a Mexican restaurant chain) and as co-sponsor ABN AMRO is named. The budget should be around 8 million Euro next year.
They aim for a doping-free cycling world. Each year - each rider will go through 50 bloodtests and 50 urine tests; which seems to be much more (5 times) than the average team is doing. The costs (around 20.000 dollar per rider) are payed by the Agency for Cycling Ethics, which got their money from gifts and (co-)sponsors.
This team will not apply for a Pro Tour licence as - in their opinion - the participation in the 3 Major Tours it too much for the team. But they are now lobying already for a wild-card in the biggest event, The Tour de France.
If JV has some of those names, I'm impressed. Read a rumour that Hincapie was also on the cards.
USA Professional team Slipstream has big plans for next year and gives some hope for a new future of pro-cycling. Under the management of ex-pro rider Jonathan Vaughters, assisted by a.o. ex-pro Frankie Andreu, the team seems to have (pre-)contracted already several top-riders for next year. Named are a.o.
Marcus Backstedt (Swe) = Liquigas; David Cañada Gracia (Spa) and David Millar (GBr) = both Saunier; Christophe Laurent (Fra) = Crédit Agricole; David Zabriskie (Usa) = Team Riis; Martijn Maaskant (Ned) = Rabo Continental, who should have signed for 2 years leider, while also Jérôme Pineau (Fra) and Thomas Voeckler (Fra) = both Bouyges Telecom seems to be contracted.
New sponsor of the team will be Chipotle (a Mexican restaurant chain) and as co-sponsor ABN AMRO is named. The budget should be around 8 million Euro next year.
They aim for a doping-free cycling world. Each year - each rider will go through 50 bloodtests and 50 urine tests; which seems to be much more (5 times) than the average team is doing. The costs (around 20.000 dollar per rider) are payed by the Agency for Cycling Ethics, which got their money from gifts and (co-)sponsors.
This team will not apply for a Pro Tour licence as - in their opinion - the participation in the 3 Major Tours it too much for the team. But they are now lobying already for a wild-card in the biggest event, The Tour de France.
If JV has some of those names, I'm impressed. Read a rumour that Hincapie was also on the cards.
Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
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8 million euro a year? Wouldn't that give them the largest budget in cycling? Very impressive when you consider the kind of races they were riding as TIAA-CREF last year.0
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Well that's good news.
Guess this is what's been hinted at in both Cycle Sport and Procycling recently. Interesting the choice of riders they've gone for/contacted too. I guess if this is coming to fruitition we'll be hearing more about it during the Tour, and possibly more names linked like Hincapie.
Never heard of the restuarant chain though, presumably it's only in North America?0 -
Great news if it's true. Slipstream and the Association for Cycling Ethics are the only hope for the sport.0
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I can't see how three grand tours would be beyond a team of this quality?0
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I saw the same story in Procycling.com. I was a little surprised at the mention of Hincapie. I would have thought he would want to end his career where he is at.
Chipotle is an American chain. Sells tacos, soft tacos and burittos and chips and salsa. It is very popular here in Ohio. I am not sure about the rest of the country, though.
I like what Slipstream is doing and I hope to see them in the Tour next year. They are fun to watch - always in a break away and out front.Caribbean Soul0 -
Hats off to the yanks when it comes to new ideas for cycling. Greg Lemond introducing tribars and Oakleys...mountain bikes....and now Slipstream spending $300,000 on extra testing, independently supervised by ACE. Sometimes cyclists are too conservative for their own good. I would like to see the UCI sacked and replaced by some bright sparks from Boulder. I'm sure they would straighten out the sport in weeks.0
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calvjones wrote:Nick H. wrote:Great news if it's true. Slipstream and the Association for Cycling Ethics are the only hope for the sport.
Phew! Yanks have saved us again.
Think about all the Grand Tour winner since - ummm, say, 1986. How many of them would you be certain are clean? I would say 2.....Both Americans.Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
Irrelevant really. It's obvious that American athletes are typically as dirty as anyone else. I'm talking about the people on the committees which control the sport. The situation now is similar to when all those old farts were holding back British rugby. We need to get rid of the old boys at the UCI and get in some entrepreneurial business minds who will sort out the sport's PR problems (i.e. doping) before all the big sponsors leave.0
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Think about all the Grand Tour winner since - ummm, say, 1986. How many of them would you be certain are clean? I would say 2.....Both Americans.
Lemond fair enough, but Floyd???
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This is pretty cool news, would love to see this sort of team come in and try change things up.0
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GroupOfOne wrote:Think about all the Grand Tour winner since - ummm, say, 1986. How many of them would you be certain are clean? I would say 2.....Both Americans.
Lemond fair enough, but Floyd???
Probably means Andy Hampsten for the '88 Giro. I hope he's not suggesting any of the american riders who've won in the last eight years 0 -
Seems Slipstream are a really good team with a commitment to clean results. I'd much rather watch them than ex T mobile guys repackaged as Astana with one really shady Dr training AV. How many doping stories ae going at the moment? Piepoli, Di Luca, Mazzoleni, Pettachi, Op Puerto riders. What a state professional cycling is in.0
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I just hope they sort the kit out! :?0
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andyppro wrote:I just hope they sort the kit out! :?
Oh, I don't know. Given that "Gorgeous George" Hincapie is being linked with this team and given the Team Disco obsession with long shorts and socks, it might go well with the Slipstream gear. A bit like this......
http://tinyurl.com/ys364x'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'0 -
iainf72 wrote:andyppro wrote:I just hope they sort the kit out! :?
I was thinking about that yesterday - Them vs Astana = good vs evil both in rubbish kit.
I hope slipstream get to the TDF and other Grand tours in 2008. I want to see properly monitored teams winning, like T Mob as well-would make a good change. I don't like Astana much and I really hope they don't win the TDF0 -
I hope the Slipstream thing comes off, and that the keep the golf print kit. Love that and only wish you could get it in the UK 8)0
