Slipstream gets Catalunya nod after Paris-Roubaix pass

Behind the scenes, it looked like American Pro Continental squad Team Slipstream, headed by former pro and U.S. Postal team member Jonathan Vaughters, had a solid chance at being awarded one of the available wildcard slots for the 2007 Paris-Roubaix classic. But when the announcement was made earlier this week, the team was passed over. "We were hopeful for getting the nod, Especially after Tour of California and West Flanders," Vaughters said over the weekend.

Vaughters is philosophical about the missed opportunity, consoled by he fact that the team has been invited to the prestigious Critérium International (Saturday, March 31st). "(Paris-Roubaix) would have been a good experience for our guys, but the teams they picked are still better than our team, so the decision is a just one," he said.

Another consolation is the recent news that Slipstream has been invited to the Tour of Catalunya in late May. "This is a great stage race for our climbers," Vaughters said. "It will be our first ProTour wildcard, and probably one a bit more suited to our team than Paris-Roubaix."