Tour de France News for May 10, 2003 Edited by Chris Henry Coast/Ullrich saga continues Ullrich disappointed Not out of the woods yet Photo: © AFP Following the latest suspension of Team Coast, Jan Ullrich and his directeur sportif Rudy Pevenage have each expressed their discontent with the situation. "I'm very disappointed with [Coast owner] Mr. Dahms," Ullrich commented. Pevenage, who indicated already that he would seek offers from other teams, including Quick.Step-Davitamon, added that "Ullrich's career will go on; we won't sit by and do nothing." Italian bicycle maker Bianchi, which stepped in to help secure Ullrich's contract on the eve of his return to racing at the Circuit de la Sarthe, remains a possible source of salvation for the team. Bianchi appears prepared to take over the team if Coast were to step aside (or be forced aside), or almost certainly assume a greater role as co-sponsor. "Whilst striving to find a settlement to all the problems, [Tony Grimaldi, President of Cycleurope, and Davide Brambilla, Vice-president of Bianchi International] are looking for a project securing the participation in the forthcoming events of the season for Jan Ullrich and Team Coast," said Bianchi marketing manager Stefano Vigano Friday in a written statement. The situation is once again quite serious for Coast, which even before the initial suspension was considered to be on shaky ground. "We're asking Team Coast to provide bank guarantees for the whole year, and not simply for the current month," said the UCI's Alain Rumpf. "If Dahms can't provide them, the team will remain suspended. It has not yet been decided whether Coast will lose its right to participate in the Tour de France. We'll wait to see what they present to us." Questions for the Tour Tour de France director Jean-Marie Leblanc remains supportive of the riders of Team Coast, particularly former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich. "It's unfortunate for Ullrich," Leblanc told l'Equipe. "He has done his part to get back on track, and it's the team structure that is crashing down around him." With the UCI already hinting that Coast's participation in the Tour de France is not a sure bet, the Tour organisers have begun to contemplate the ramifications, and an additional berth that might become available on the eve of the final four team selections. "This will complicate matters for the organisers of the Tour," Leblanc said in the Spanish daily Marca, referring to a possible situation in which Coast could either be prohibited from competing by the UCI, or the Tour de France could take its own actions. "Technically, Coast earned its spot in the Tour without Ullrich. We'll have to follow the recommendations of the UCI." Among the teams interested in signing Ullrich is the Swiss Phonak formation, which is also anxiously awaiting the verdict on the final wild card selections for the Tour. If Phonak were to sign Ullrich, the team's place in the Tour would be virtually assured, although the fact that the team is interested only in Ullrich, and not his entourage (including Pevenage and Tobias Steinhauser), could complicate the bid. To date, Ullrich's support group has been an integral component of all contract discussions. Cofidis back in the fray In the latter stages of Ullrich's initial search for a new contract this year, the French Cofidis team made some indication of its interest in the German. Now that Ullrich may be back on the market, the team is once again throwing its hat in the ring of potential suitors, although as with most teams, the question of the necessary finances remains. "This morning Cofidis owner François Migraine asked me to see if it would be possible to sign Jan Ullrich," Bondue said Friday in an interview with Reuters. "I'm still asking questions. Does Jan Ullrich want to leave Coast to join Cofidis?" Cofidis appears to be in a similar frame of mind as Phonak: interested in Ullrich but less so in his companions. "Who does he really want at his side?" Cofidis manager Alain Bondue wondered, "knowing that we already have who we need concerning directors and team members." Team Telekom is also reported to have 'left the door open' for Ullrich, although the same cannot be said of directeur sportif Pevenage. The Quick.Step, CSC, and iBanesto.com teams round out the list of potential options for Ullrich, although no deals appear to be imminent. (All rights reserved/Copyright Knapp Communications Pty Limited 2003)

Recently on Cyclingnews.com Giro finale Photo ©: Bettini

Cyclingnews' live coverage of the 90th Tour de France is powered by