Saur-Sojasun for the Tour?

[issoisso]

I'm not sure ASO will see Footon-Servetto-Fuji as the successor of Fuji-Servetto. How many of those riders are now still riding for Footon-S-F? If ASO wants to add Saur or Vacansoleil, they might drop Footon regardless the aforementioned agreement.

Dishonest as ASO may be, they're no UCI. Footon is quite clearly the same team, and they will honour their agreemetn.

 

[luckyboy]

If doping swayed Zomegnan, Ventoso would be another blow for their chances. But he really doesn't, other than getting VERY annoyed every time someone starts asking questions about an obvious doper.

Miche doesn't have a wild-card. They can't ride World Calendar races.

Yeah, I looked up the teams before - this website http://www.cyclingwebsite.net/index.php seems to be the only place that actually has up-to-date squads and teams etc..

Oh what?! This is confusing I always thought Pro-conti teams could get invites to whatever races the organisers say. So Miche, Rock and who else didn't get a wild card?

Apologies for swaying this way off topic btw.

 

[issoisso]

Yeah, I looked up the teams before - this website http://www.cyclingwebsite.net/index.php seems to be the only place that actually has up-to-date squads and teams etc..

Oh what?! This is confusing I always thought Pro-conti teams could get invites to whatever races the organisers say. So Miche, Rock and who else didn't get a wild card?

Apologies for swaying this way off topic btw.

Yup. Pro Continental teams, after getting that status, can apply for a wild card. If they get a wild card (the terms are stricter and include being in the biological passport program) they are eligible to apply for World Calender (that's ProTour or former ProTour) races.

 

[luckyboy]

Ah ok then. Learn something new every day

 

[Kingsley A]

I'm not sure ASO will see Footon-Servetto-Fuji as the successor of Fuji-Servetto. How many of those riders are now still riding for Footon-S-F? If ASO wants to add Saur or Vacansoleil, they might drop Footon regardless the aforementioned agreement.

Surely what matters is the continuity of the licence rather than whether there is consistency around riders or sponsors?

Of the teams guaranteed a start the one most likely not to be there is Lampre, who may not even exist in July if they haven't sorted out their irregularities with the UCI by March.

After all, didn't last years Vuelta have to start with more teams than Unipublic originally intended as a result of teams appealing to the CAS for inclusion?

 

[luckyboy]

I think it was just Fuji who did the CAS injunction. Katusha didn't bother.

 

[craig1985]

That is also how they were able to ride the Giro as well.

 

[ike2112]

Surely what matters is the continuity of the licence rather than whether there is consistency around riders or sponsors?

Of the teams guaranteed a start the one most likely not to be there is Lampre, who may not even exist in July if they haven't sorted out their irregularities with the UCI by March.

After all, didn't last years Vuelta have to start with more teams than Unipublic originally intended as a result of teams appealing to the CAS for inclusion?

Absolutely. Footon-Servetto is legally the same team as Fuji-Servetto, as the licence was maintained. A new headline sponsor makes no difference, otherwise Colombia-HTC would be different to Highroad. You can't twist rules just because a team has lots of unproven riders.
That said, wiping the slate clean is good & bad. It was good in that the remnants of Saunier Duval ought to be gone. It's bad because nobody's heard of any of the riders left. I wouldn't hold that against them, give the lads a chance, but it doesn't help when the profile of your team is important in gaining race invites.

Indeed Fuji appealed to CAS and were able to ride the Vuelta. Katusha didn't care. But they do care about the Giro and Tour.

Personally I see Vacansoleil being the wild card of the wild cards, with BMC missing out. BMC are a fake 'big' team. They were supposed to be a Swiss-based US team with an aim of developing young riders. All of a sudden they whack out the cash for some names. 3 riders don't make a team. If Cadel crashed out in the Tour on the cobbles, would anyone even know who the rest of the team were?
The leafy brothers are why. Vacansoleil let Baden Cooke go so that they could afford them. Who didn't love watching Johnny H light up the Vuelta? I want to see Borut Bozic given the chance to take on the best sprinters.

ASO will forfeit the chance of having an all-French team if it means having an entertaining, competitive team involved which just happens to include the newest heroes of French cycling (Romain Sicard not included).

Was the 'agreement' just with the ASO, or does it also apply to the two other GTs?

 

[Mellow Velo]

FS are bound to get a Vuelta invite, whether they have an "agreement" or not, I would have thought.

 

[ike2112]

FS are bound to get a Vuelta invite, whether they have an "agreement" or not, I would have thought.

Well, they tried to keep them away last season
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/fuji-servetto-wins-appeal-for-vuelta-entry

Personally I think they'll (GT organisers) let it go this year. Unless one of their riders tests positive. Then I can see them being looked upon as being short on talent and high on barefaced cheek.

 

[ScottyMuser]

BMC for me to drop out, hopefully with 'Shack and Saur; Skil will provde more exciting than LA media circus following him around to see him fail miserably at getting a podium without the aid of a TTT.

Vacansoleil are a FAR better, balanced side than BMC, and will guarantee the French a) some French success in the excellent Feilleu brothers, a decent sprinter to help Romain in Bozic, and everyone's favourite Dutchman Jonny H (mainly for what he did chasing down the slug in the Worlds)

 

[lucybears]

Oh how I wish!



Interesting. Never heard that expression before




ASO have yet to decide if there will be 22 or 20, but have publicly admitted 22 are far more likely. And the following 16 are guaranteed by the participation agreement

AG2R La Mondiale
Astana
Bbox Bouygues Telecom
Caisse d’Epargne
Cofidis, le Crédit en ligne
Euskaltel - Euskadi
Française des Jeux
Footon-Servetto
Katusha Team
Lampre-Farnese Vini
Liquigas-Doimo
Omega Pharma-Lotto
Quick Step
Rabobank
Team HTC-Columbia
Team Milram
Team Saxo Bank


Which means.....

Scratch three of the below:


BMC
Cervelo Test Team
Garmin-Transitions
Saur-Sojasun
Skil-Shimano
Team Radio Shack
Team Sky
Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team


Knowing this, it becomes easy. Scratch Skil, Saur and Vacansoleil.

Prudhomme confirms 22 teams in TdF, 6 wildcards will be announced end march, 9 teams being cosidered....

 

[stefrees]

i think vaconsoleil will go, theyve had a great season start. dont think skil will go, i would say sky are certainties as are armstrong and his oaps, not sure about bmc yet. cervelo will be dfinities as well?

 

[theyoungest]

Vacansoleil are a FAR better, balanced side than BMC, and will guarantee the French a) some French success in the excellent Feilleu brothers, a decent sprinter to help Romain in Bozic, and everyone's favourite Dutchman Jonny H (mainly for what he did chasing down the slug in the Worlds)

Vacansoleil better than BMC? More balanced, maybe. But against the likes of BMC's Hincapie, Evans, Kroon and Burghardt, Vacansoleil have Hoogerland and Bozic and... well, on that level, that's about it. Although for sure they have better depth in their team, which is where the "balanced" comment comes in.
The Feillu brothers are a little overrated, IMHO, and certainly Bozic is not "a decent sprinter to help Romain"--more like the other way around--but the fact that they're French is their saving grace.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I too really wanna see vasc. get a spot at the tour.
They'd be an interesting addition.
IMO BMC not getting a wildcard only benefits evans, and keeps him from wasting him self at the tour, which he simply wont win.

 

[luckyboy]

Prudhomme confirms 22 teams in TdF, 6 wildcards will be announced end march, 9 teams being cosidered....

Ooh, interesting.

Sky, Garmin, Cervelo and Radio Shack aren't covered by the agreement. issoisso put Katusha in his list, but they're not covered by the agreement - they're almost 100% certain though

So then that's 14 teams in the agreement + the 2 French teams also in it, Sky, Garmin, Radio Shack, Cervelo and Katusha. That's 21.

Shoot out between Vacansoleil, Skil, BMC then. Vacansoleil it is.

 

[BYOP88]

It would be rather funny if Sky and Radio Shack both missed out on an invite. I know it's not going to happen but one can dream.

 

[Publicus]

Ooh, interesting.

Sky, Garmin, Cervelo and Radio Shack aren't covered by the agreement. issoisso put Katusha in his list, but they're not covered by the agreement - they're almost 100% certain though

So then that's 14 teams in the agreement + the 2 French teams also in it, Sky, Garmin, Radio Shack, Cervelo and Katusha. That's 21.

Shoot out between Vacansoleil, Skil, BMC then. Vacansoleil it is.

Yep. If it comes down to those three, I'd stake money Vacansoleil too. We'll know in a little over a month.

 

[Highlander]

The Feillu brothers are a little overrated, IMHO, and certainly Bozic is not "a decent sprinter to help Romain"--more like the other way around--but the fact that they're French is their saving grace.

They possibly are overrated, but they did help to animate the race last year during the early weeks. As all the GC competitors were looking around at each other, at least Brice was willing to go on the attack and do something. That is why I think that it would be better to add Vacansoleil than BMC. While BMC may have more big name racers, they don't exactly contain a number of attackers who help make the race more interesting. That includes those who are willing to go on attack early in the race with the insane breakaways. I think that the ASO should try to factor this desire for excitement in their decision rather than adding a contender who probably won't really represent a challenge to the podium.

 

[**Uru**]

The wildcard invites will be:

BMC
Cervelo Test Team
Garmin-Transitions
Team Radio Shack
Team Sky

Last I heard, Lampre is in financial trouble and may fold in March. If something comes of Astana gate from least years Tour, does that mean Astana AND Radio Shack will be dropped?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

surely skil have little to no chance anyway.

 

[theyoungest]

surely skil have little to no chance anyway.

Skil simply don't have any riders on TdF level. Sure, they were in a lot of breakaways last year, but they'll mostly be remembered by that hero of the high mountains, Kenny "dropped on every speedbump" van Hummel.

 

[ak-zaaf]

Prudhomme continued by [...] saying that the organiser's minimum of French riders had been fulfilled and that it was now a question of which teams had the most interesting leaders in their ranks.

Bye bye Feillu brothers, welcome BMC.

As long as they consider Evans an 'interesting leader'.

 

[Publicus]

The wildcard invites will be:

BMC
Cervelo Test Team
Garmin-Transitions
Team Radio Shack
Team Sky

Last I heard, Lampre is in financial trouble and may fold in March. If something comes of Astana gate from least years Tour, does that mean Astana AND Radio Shack will be dropped?

It would depend on who the 7 riders are. My guess it would be Radio Shack since it is essentially Astana 2009 (and probably has at least 6 of the 7 riders involved, if not all 7). But that's just a guess.

 

[Anonymous]

Ooh, interesting.

Sky, Garmin, Cervelo and Radio Shack aren't covered by the agreement. issoisso put Katusha in his list, but they're not covered by the agreement - they're almost 100% certain though

So then that's 14 teams in the agreement + the 2 French teams also in it, Sky, Garmin, Radio Shack, Cervelo and Katusha. That's 21.

Shoot out between Vacansoleil, Skil, BMC then. Vacansoleil it is.

Prudhomme confirms 22 teams in TdF, 6 wildcards will be announced end march, 9 teams being cosidered....

Well 22 teams total, less NINE being considered, leaves 13 teams definately in.

This does not fit in with the 14 teams being in the agreement.

Assumedly then the 9 being considered are, Sky, Garmin, RS, Cervelo, Katusha, Vaconsoleil, Skil, BMC, and ONE OF THE FOURTEEN??????

Which one of the 14 isnt guaranteed a spot?