Road Bike Racing - Saeco out of LeTour

Just read on the Velonews website that Team Saeco has been uninvited from participation in the TdF due to Simoni's two positive tests for cocaine. This despite Saeco's suspending Simoni. Team Jean Delatour (a French squad, naturally) will be filling their spot.

Good choice! Let's invite a fairly useless French team that has done absolutely nothing this years instead of Phonak or Coast!

Well... at least JD has Halgand, and it'll be nice to see him get some more exposure.

This is going to be the Tour de Lance. I'm beginning to think that I just won't watch this year.

Ok, we all know who is going to win the tour this year. But I wouldn't be too surprised if Lance tests positive for BBQ sauce or some bulls**t like that. Team Jean what? Ive never even heard of that team! They must suck!

Why did Simoni get suspended for cocaine? Cocaine does not enhance your cycling capabilities unless im mistaken? And is Simoni a drug addict? :D

This is a joke. Boot Saeco out and leave Mapei? I can understand banning a rider, but a whole team? Saeco have suspended Simoni pending investigation. Mapei should get the boot as well.

Adding Jean Delatour, who will undoubtably have Super Mullet Laurent "Festina Affair" Brouchard on their roster is pathetic. Here you have Cipollini coming off of 6 stage wins in the Giro. Phonak is doing well. Hell, put Index Alexia in. They have the Giro winner in Salvodelli and Quaranta might be in shape by then. And they have just as many "former" dopers as Jean Delatour.

Ovalmaster,

Index alexia, Aqua E Sappone, Ponak, et al are NOT
french, so we can rule them out.
I don't know about Mapei given the Garzelli debaucle
how does he test positive one day, in minute amounts
and not test postive the day before or after? sounds
like a set up to me.
Marty

Mapei gets an automatic, irrevocable invitation by virtue of its UCI standings. The STdF simply can't disinvite them. Saeco had a wildcard invitation based on Simoni's promise. What Leblanc giveth, Leblanc taketh away.

As for Garzelli... two unconfirmed non-negatives for minute traces of an antique drug that no one uses anymore sounds pretty fishy to me.

I agree,the whole thing is just absurd. Phonak has had a great season, Strazzer had a hot giro. Team Coast has three riders who have also had terrific seasons so far- Alex Zulle, Fernando Escartin and Frank Hoj. Even Gerolsteiner- they have some hot sprinters and climbers. And Jean Delatour has done... what so far?

And Jean Delatour has done... what so far?
I think they did Tour de champs d'elysee, a 3 lap sprint
for a grand total of .78km, open only to French teams
that were ommited from the tour, as a qualifier for the TdF
in case some nonfrench team gets uninvited.
the whole thing is a farce. Its more embarrasing than
the doping if you ask me (of course, you didn't).
:mad:
Marty

The Tour is not the same as years past. It has lost all its class a few years ago.

Mr. LeBlanc is no idiot and has made it clear he wants French teams. It is his race and he does as he pleases. However a Tour win is not as prestigious as years past. Too bad for Lance. Still the team advertisises is as it, but it is not.

The Tour counts on lance to pull them out of the hole every year. They hide his affairs and give him 110% privacy. This USPS loves.

Saeco out? Well it was no susprise. Anything they can do to put more French teams in. Sad for DiLuca and the sponsors whom planned on this and were promised a spot.

Xavier,

Once again thanks for your posts,
I really enjoy reading the opinions/thoughts
of someone who has actually been there
and done that.

Marty

What do you mean, ' hide his affairs'- do I detect sleazy gossip?? Oh boy.....

In a way, you're right, it's too bad the way things have gone- sort of like the judging scandals in the olympics. I wish I'd been able to follow the tours back when but they were never on tv, alas. Frankly, I always liked the Giro better- doping scandals aside, it always seemed more fun or something and there's the great italian scenery. ANd the vuelta is a great race. IT's really a shame that guys like De Luca and team coast, and team gerolsteiner aren't given a chance at the Tour.


Interesting I noticed that USPS isn't doing the Alps Classic which I thought armstrong always wants to do, although they are doing the Dauphiné.

Just today Jean Delatour won stage six in the Tour of Germany.

Cheers...Gary

There has been an on going investigation since I believe the 2001 Tour on Lance and the USPS team. However not much surfaces the press and now it is surfacing a bit with rumors of sand bagging accusations.