Teams vote on Paris-Nice participation

With the start of Paris-Nice looming, the teams voted in favour of partipation in the race despite the threats of the UCI to level sanctions against them. On the same day, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decided that it lacked the jurisdiction to rule on whether or not the UCI's sanctions are legal.

In a meeting of the AIGCP (International Association of Professional Cycling Teams) held outside Paris on Friday, fifteen teams are reported to have voted in favour of racing while eight teams abstained. Rabobank was not present for the vote, while CSC, Quick Step, Liquigas, Saunier Duval, High Road, Milram and Astana, all abstained from casting a ballot.

Silence-Lotto named its team for the start on Sunday. Mario Aerts, Christophe Brandt, Jurgen Vandenbroeck, Johan Vansummeren, Cadel Evans, Matthew Lloyd, Yaroslav Popovych and Dario Cioni will take the start in Amilly.

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CAS declined to rule on the legality of the threat of sanctions leveled by the UCI against any team which participates in the FFC-sanctioned event, leaving the riders facing suspensions of six months and 10,000 Swiss franc fines if they start the race as long as it is held outside the sanctioning of the sport's governing body.

UCI president Pat McQuaid stood firm in his insistence that the teams will be punished for defying the rules of his organisation on Friday, but holds out hope that they will reconsider. "I'm still waiting for Sunday morning," McQuaid told Reuters. "If they voted in a majority, it means some have not voted for it and thus have been forced to break the UCI regulations. So until Sunday morning it's still wait and see.

"The UCI has made it quite clear to the teams that they needed to be aware of the decision they make," McQuaid continued. "If they decide to go with ASO they have firmly taken the decision to be out of the UCI."

"Teams who participate in Paris-Nice will be thrown out of the UCI," McQuaid said.