Tour de France News for May 16, 2003 Edited by Jeff Jones Tour Wild Cards: Super Mario vs. Mad Dog Next Monday, May 19, the organisers of the Tour de France will name the final four wild card teams that will take part in this year's Tour. It will be a tight contest between the French teams (Brioches La Boulangère, Ag2r, Jean Delatour) and the strong foreign squads, namely Domina Vacanze, Phonak, and Euskaltel-Euskadi. Although there are other candidates, these six teams are the ones which will probably fight it out for the last four places. It's likely, given the French focus of the event, that both Ag2r-Prevoyance and Brioches la Boulangère will make the cut. Jean Delatour is a chance after a better performance in the Four Days of Dunkirk, but its season has been pretty lean so far. If the organisers opt to take two foreign teams, then it will come down to Domina Vacanze, Phonak and Euskaltel. Mario Cipollini's Domina Vacanza-Elitron team is behind Alex Zülle's Phonak squad by two places in the latest UCI team rankings. But it has an advantage due to its big drawcard, Mario Cipollini, nicknamed "Super Mario". Phonak has Alex Zülle, who has twice finished second in the Tour de France. His nickname is "Perro Loco" or "Mad Dog" from his early racing days in Spain. "Cipollini is a huge star, a showman and world champion to boot," ex-team manager Cyril Guimard told Darren Tulett or Bloomberg news. "That gives his team a considerable edge." Phonak hasn't had any big results this season, despite signing "Mad Dog" Zülle from Coast in March. However, the Swiss company is also involved in sponsorship of Amaury Sport Organization events such as Paris-Nice. And it employed USA Cycling president Jim Ochowicz as a consultant to help it gain Tour selection. "It would be almost a scandal if Phonak snuck in," said Jean-Luc Gatellier to Bloomberg, who has written several books on the Tour de France. However Phonak is committed sponsoring its cycling team through 2007, and that may sway the Tour selectors, said team manager Urs Freuler. "It would be nice if the Tour organizers put some value on longevity, rather on teams that are likely to disappear into thin air next year," he said According to Tour spokesman Matthieu Desplats, "It's the global impression, how a team has been riding, whether its racers attacked or hung back. Then there are the big personalities, those who will give something to the Tour." In the personality stakes, Cipo is still Super Mario, even if he hasn't surpassed Binda yet. But Alex Zülle's Mad Dog days might be over. "If it's a straight choice between Mario and Alex, it won't take the Tour people long," added Cyril Guimard. "Worthy as Zülle is, people don't go out of their way to watch him pedal by." The teams selected so far: U.S. Postal Service Fassa Bortolo Alessio Sidermec Saeco Team Telekom Team Coast Gerolsteiner Rabobank Quick Step-Davitamon Lotto-Domo IBanesto.com Kelme-Costa Blanca Once-Eroski Cofidis Credit Agricole FDJ.com Team CSC (All rights reserved/Copyright Knapp Communications Pty Limited 2003)

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