Tour de France News for June 9, 2003 Edited by Jeff Jones Domina Vacanze's sponsor hits out Mario Cipollini Photo: © Sirotti In an open letter to Jean-Marie Leblanc, published in La Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere della Sera, Domina Vacanze boss Ernesto Preatoni has hit out at the exclusion of his team from the Centenary Tour de France. In it, Preatoni described himself as "horrified...at someone who organises sporting events...who could exclude one of the most popular figures in cycling, one of the best known talents, one of the most loved champions...His decision to exclude Cipollini is absolutely without sense and doesn't do any honour to the great prestige of the sporting event that he 'directs'." Preatoni commented that the sport of cycling is a delicate balance between young hopefuls and great champions, and to exclude Cipollini "ruins all the balance: to eliminate a grand champion, or rather the World Champion, is a serious action." The letter finished with Preatoni saying that he hopes that the World Champion will be seen at the start of the Grand Boucle. "If only so that this competition remains the prestigious sporting spectacle to which millions of Europeans have become used to watching." (All rights reserved/Copyright Knapp Communications Pty Limited 2003)

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