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Tour de France News for May 21, 2003

Edited by Jeff Jones & John Stevenson

Yes to Cipo and Ullrich, no to Jean Delatour

The overwhelming majority of cyclists want to see both Mario Cipollini and Jan Ullrich riding this year's Tour de France, with an equal number in favour of excluding French team Jean Delatour.

The Cyclingnews.com survey was based on the May 19 announcement of the four remaining wildcard entries for the Tour. The Tour organizers, ASO, selected three French teams - Ag2r-Prevoyance, Brioches La Boulangère and Jean Delatour - as well as Spanish squad Euskaltel-Euskadi to fill the remaining four places.

However, ASO has left the door open for a possible 22nd team to be invited, and so far Cyclingnews readers believe that final spot should go to Ullrich, not the big Italian sprinter.

Cyclingnews visitors were asked if Domina Vacanze should be invited and which team should be excluded; as well as which team should be given the 22nd spot if it is made available.

So far Cyclingnews.com has received some 1500 responses to its survey on the Tour de France wildcards. If you have not yet stated your opinion, please visit the page as it will be closed at noon tomorrow and then the full results tabulated and published on the site.

The survey closes at noon May 22, Sydney time (7pm, May 21 US West Coast/10pm East Coast/4am May 22 Europe) and we'll publish the results shortly afterwards.

Armstrong: Cipo should be in

The defending champion of the Tour de France has sided with popular opinion in stating that Mario Cipollini should ride the Tour de France. Armstrong was quoted in La Gazzetta as saying, "The Tour is the biggest race. It's a world class race and you can't keep the best people out. I don't understand this decision. I've asked for an answer but I haven't gotten a response."

"There's three good reasons why this decision as absolutely wrong: First, Cipollini is the World Champion and they didn't think only of the race. Second, Cipollini is the best sprinter in the world, so even on a technical level it's a mistake not to invite him. Third, Cipollini is a really big personality and he's very popular in cycling. He knows how to take his responsibilities, and the Tour should welcome him back."

"The Tour is a world class event, it's not a national race," continued Armstrong. "Also we're hoping to see Ullrich there. The more champions there are, the better, and the more difficult the race is, the more passionate the fans are."

Verbruggen: Leblanc followed the rules

UCI president Hein Verbruggen also voiced his disappointment at the non-selection of Cipollini, but underlined that race director Jean-Marie Leblanc had followed the rules, thus there would probably be no intervention from the UCI in the matter.

"It's really too bad not to see the UCI world champion at the Tour," said Verbruggen to La Gazzetta. "It's evident though that Jean-Marie Leblanc followed all the rules. And it's not the first time that the Italians have complained. Last year it was Simoni, and before that Pantani."

Verbruggen said that the team selection issue is gradually improving: "Until 15 years ago, the power of the organisers was absolute. Now their discretion is limited to eight wild cards. The Tour's inviting French teams like the Giro does for the Italians and Vuelta for the Spanish. But I admit that while the Giro and the Vuelta have a dimension that is more national, the Tour de France is absolutely considered an international race, so they should have more of a world oriented philosophy."

"We have to find a structural solution," he concluded, alluding once again to his "super league" of teams. "It could happen with a creation of a category of top competition teams that know already in winter what races they will participate in. It's not good for the sponsor not to have guarantees of the races they are going to participate in."

Riis surprised over Phonak's Tour miss

By Ole Ryborg

While everybody is busy commenting the non-participation of Mario Cipollini and his Domina Vacanze team in this year's Tour de France, former Tour winner Bjarne Riis has been critical about another non-selection. In the Danish media, the CSC team director voiced his surprise and disappointment that the Société du Tour de France did not give Swiss team Phonak a wild card.

"I am mostly surprised that they (the Société de Tour de France) did not appoint Team Phonak. Phonak is one of the sponsors that nowadays do most for the sport and therefore they should also have been helped by the Tour de France. The Société has a responsibility for the whole world of cycling which they do not live up to in this way," Bjarne Riis told the Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet.

Riis also said that he has not yet signed a contract with the Danish Coast rider Bekim Christensen, who wants to start riding for Team CSC.

"We do not dare to make a contract with Bekim right now. He has one contract (with Coast), and that one he needs to get rid of before he can sign a new one," said Riis. "We need to think about Bekim so that he does not get into trouble."

Have your say on the Tour de France wildcards in our online survey.

Armstrong rides key Tour stages

Lance Armstrong will head to France next week to reconnoitre some of the stages in this year's Centenary Tour. "Before the end of the month, he will have examined all the important Tour mountain stages with a magnifying glass, just like the roads that the individual time trials will be ridden on," US Postal's team director Dirk Demol was quoted in Gazet van Antwerpen as saying. "After that, there is a possibility for a few more reconnaissances. We never want to leave anything to chance."

 

(All rights reserved/Copyright Knapp Communications Pty Limited 2003)

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