Tour de France News for May 26, 2003 Edited by Chris Henry Cipollini writes to Leblanc At a short meeting at Venice airport on Friday, Domina Vacanze team manager Vincenzo Santoni and the director of the Italian Professional Cycling Council Claudio Santi met with Tour de France boss Jean-Marie Leblanc to discuss the issue of Mario Cipollini's exclusion from the Tour de France. There they handed Jean-Marie a letter written by Cipollini which explained that - if given the chance - he wants to finish the Tour in Paris this year. This was in answer to Leblanc's major criticism of the Tuscan sprinter: that Cipollini has had a tendency to pull out of the Tour when the mountains approached. Leblanc was quoted in Het Nieuwsblad as saying that it was "A very kind and humble letter. We will study his question." Leblanc was quoted earlier as saying that Cipollini has a "10-15 percent chance" of starting in the Tour. Vincenzo Santoni told Cyclingnews that there should be some kind of decision later this week about whether a 23rd team is allowed into the Tour de France. Any participation of a 23rd team will have to be approved by the Professional Cycling Council. In addition to increasing the peloton to 207 riders, it's also a logistical problem to handle all of the team's staff and riders, with only six weeks to the start of the Centenary Tour. Gonzalez to the Tour Following a steady build up during the Giro d'Italia, which today saw him take the victory in the stage 15 individual time trial, Aitor Gonzalez has indicated that he will now ride plan to ride the Tour de France. Gonzalez and Fassa Bortolo team manager Giancarlo Ferretti had originally planned for the 2002 Vuelta a España winner to ride the Giro and the Vuelta, however now the Tour appears a feasible objective. "Aitor didn't have a chance in the Giro since he arrived with some injuries and then had problems with his allergies in the first week," explained Ferretti. "Little by little, things have improved, and he'll be in peak condition for the Tour." Gonzalez started to come around in the mountains of the Giro, after an initial setback on the Terminillo climb which dashed any hopes for the general classification. Sunday's victory in the time trial was an important benchmark for the Spaniard. "I was waiting for the time trial to do a good ride, but I didn't think I was in a position to win," Gonzalez told Datasport. "I expected a lot in this Giro, even if it has not gone as I would have hoped. Perhaps I'm just getting here a week too late." Team Bianchi revealed The full composition of the newly registered Team Bianchi has been revealed. Team leader Jan Ullrich will be joined by 18 other riders from the now defunct Team Coast. The team retains Coast's primarily German flavour, along with a strong Spanish contingent. Team roster: Germany: Daniel Becke, Andre Korff, Thomas Liese, Steffen Radochla, Thorsten Rund, Raphael Schweda, Tobias Steinhauser, Sven Teutenberg, Jan Ullrich, Malte Urban, Christoph von Kleinsorgen, Thorsten Wilhelms Spain: Angel Casero, Aitor Garmendia, Jaime Hernandez, Francisco Lara, David Plaza Italy: Fabrizio Guidi Sweden: Stefan Adamsson (All rights reserved/Copyright Knapp Communications Pty Limited 2003)

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