Tour teams announced next week

iainf72

http://www.velonews.com/article/73372/a ... tour-picks

Who do we reckon? Any surprise leaving outs? Will Slipstream actually get a spot after their rubbish Paris-Nice performance?

afx237vi

Slipstream are nailed on, despite their P-N non-showing.

Maybe Skil-Shimano after the ride of Clement L'Hotellerie?

GroupOfOne MkII

Presumably it'll be the 17 remaining "ProTour" teams, plus three from Slipstream, Agritubel, Barloworld & Skil. First three there looked dead on, so unless one of the "ProTour" teams is not selected I can't see Skil getting in.

Then again nothing would surprise me from ASO.

Only other team I've heard linked is Bretagne Armor Lux, who held talks with Monsieur Prudhomme, but I really can't see them being invited.

iainf72

GroupOfOne MkII wrote:

Presumably it'll be the 17 remaining "ProTour" teams, plus three from Slipstream, Agritubel, Barloworld & Skil. First three there looked dead on, so unless one of the "ProTour" teams is not selected I can't see Skil getting in.

Then again nothing would surprise me from ASO.

I kind of expect them to bin one of the other PT teams just to be defiant. Especially if they know which teams may have slightly sided with the UCI recently.

GroupOfOne MkII

Yeah it'd be too straightforward for them to just pick the remaining 17 + 3. There's always a twist in the tale.

Who do you reckon they'll bin then?

dave_1

I think Slipstearm are certain. Tour of Cali was a good field...I reckon ASO will use that to justify...

ninjaslim

Dave_1 wrote:

I think Slipstearm are certain. Tour of Cali was a good field...I reckon ASO will use that to justify...

If they are true to why they dumped Astana, next to go would be Cofidis!

Kléber

ninjaslim wrote:

If they are true to why they dumped Astana, next to go would be Cofidis!

Why? One Cofidis rider tested postive and admitted he sneaked some testosterone patches into his luggage for the race. He didn't even as for the B-sample to be tested, he admitted guilt and quit the race quickly. This wasn't a doping scheme run by the team.

Too hook a rider up to a drip and infuse blood, like Vino did, requires organisation. Who stores the blood and where is it kept? Who administers it?

iainf72

Kléber wrote:

Too hook a rider up to a drip and infuse blood, like Vino did, requires organisation. Who stores the blood and where is it kept? Who administers it?

Oh, I know I know.

Is it the Rabobank team doctor?

:twisted:

DaveyL

I thought it was the docs at Freiburg hospital...

timoid.

Ditch Saunier Duval. Never done jack in the Tour and dragged their feet over entry to PN.

andyp

Timoid. wrote:

Ditch Saunier Duval. Never done jack in the Tour and dragged their feet over entry to PN.

And would be very high on a list of teams likely to cause the reputation of the Tour harm due to unwanted doping headlines.

Also, with the exception of Ricco and Peipoli, can anyone actually name a Saunier Duval rider?

iainf72

andyp wrote:

Timoid. wrote:

Ditch Saunier Duval. Never done jack in the Tour and dragged their feet over entry to PN.

And would be very high on a list of teams likely to cause the reputation of the Tour harm due to unwanted doping headlines.

There's no need to worry about that. ASO are making sure there will be no embarrassing incidents at their races by controlling which ADA they use.