I think it’s safe to say that a lot of us will have Team Slipstream in our hearts this July but how do you think they will do?
I think it’s safe to say that a lot of us will have Team Slipstream in our hearts this July but how do you think they will do?
I think it’s safe to say that a lot of us think Vaughters looks retarded with the whole full windsor thing going on.
Methinks they didn’t make a lot of friends in the peloton with their insinuation that everyone who beats them is possibly doping. But I would absolutely love to see them in the TdF, if only to see Zabriskie time trial. They’re a fun team and I can’t wait to see them in person at the Tour of California (hoo-aaa!)
They haven’t been invited to the TDF yet, just the Giro.
Historically, the French invite French teams to Le Tour, and if they invite a foreign team, they usually invite one. With Soler’s win in the mountains last year, they would be hard pushed to not invite Barloworld in 2008 again. I would imagine the chance of an invite is currently 30%, and this will increase with every good performance through May. Next week is the start in Qatar, then California then the classics - they need to lay down a solid reason for inclusion.
I wish them the very best, Vaughters has created a solid team, great sponsors and opportunity - the riders need to perform.
True, the invitation to the TDF hasn’t formally come yet, but all indications are that it will indeed come. With the black eye the TDF currently has, can they afford NOT to invite a team with the feel-good PR of Slipstream? If the didn’t get invited, the story in the press would be that a clean team was unwelcome on the sports biggest stage. Not exactly the PR the TDF needs right now. Yea, they’ll get the invite.
My prediction (based on nothing more than hunch) is that with the eyes of the sport and the world watching they won’t do phenomenally well (win), but will do better than most expect them to.
They did very well on todays TTT in Tour of Qatar, coming in second to a strong Quickstep is impressive indeed. - They looked good doing it as well - the Felts looked sweet but the argyle socks will have to go…
Vaughters never made the insinuation that people who beat them are doping. Floyd brought that up in his insane rant on velonews when he tried to somehow say that teams that aggressively combat doping are somehow bad for the sport and teams that hire ex-dopers and suspected dopers like Rock Racing are good for the sport…
Could you provide a link where Vaughters said this?
Are you sure about typically only inviting one foreign team. In the past 10 years I can think of a bunch of foreign teams in the TdF, Astana, T-Mobile, CSC, Team Discovery/US Postal, Barloworld, Gerolsteiner, Lampre, Liquigas, Milram, Predictor Lotto.
In fact in 2007, only 6 of the 27 teams were French teams. Perhaps, you meant only one non-European team? I don’t know.
The Protour-teams where guaranteed entry - ASO would invite a limited number of teams adding to those teams, usually one foreign team.
I think it’s safe to say that a lot of us will have Team Slipstream in our hearts this July but how do you think they will do?
I would guess that the team will set itself up for individual stage wins. I think that they’ll approach the tour without any expectations on GC. I think that Julian Dean and perhaps one of the young French or Aussie guys will mix up the early fast stages, that Millar, Zabriskie will target the TTs and later long rolling stages. I suspect Maggie will look for some “Jens-like” opportunities to drag some guys along for 200km breakaways on tougher stages.
Remember many of these guys on Slipstream have had duties to perform for their respective teams GC rider. They’ll have more freedom to perform as individuals, not having to carry bottles, or blow themselves up on the flats leading up to the major climbs.
Think of this, when George Hincapie was given a chance to roll off in a break, and ride for himself he was able to find some success in terms of results in le tour, however, that isn’t his TdF job, his TdF job has been to protect Lance, Levi, Contador in the tour. Other events like Tour of CA and Tour of MO find him more aggressive with an eye on GC or stage wins.
I think you’ll see that kind of thing from the Slipstream guys. Each day a chance to take a win from someone. Each individual rider will be able to shine in a stage that suits them, not their team’s GC rider.
I hope they get in, and I REALLY hope Felt needs someone to go attend the race, although I suspect I’m about 118th on the list…
-SD
…thats better then 119th Dave !
They will likely get in for two reasons, firstly, with no disco, there is no “American Team”. That is important to the Tour (7-11/Motorola/USPS/Disco…) for the ratings on this side of the pond. Secondly, they have a strong anti-doping platform, with the sport and particularly Le Tour trying to clean up their image after the last two years, that’s something they’re really keen on. I’d be surprised if High Road isn’t invited (despite their poor history, they have a strong anti-doping program so they’ll likely get in). Astana, I’m not sure, with Puerto re-opening and looming around contador, and the kazakh dirty blood scandals of last year, they might be in tough to get an invite.
With complete freedom to invite whomever they please, i can see most of the Pro Tour teams getting nods, Slipstream, a couple of french teams and maybe an italian squad (depending on who from the Pro Tour crop is left out).
I could actually predict that Slipstream will get into all 3 grand tours, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Vuelta invites only spanish teams, even if it means more likelihood of doping (since alot of the spanish teams don’t have much for anti-doping programs).
If Slipstream gets in I think its fair and prudent to have reasonable expectations for them. They will effectively be a first year tour team. That is a huge leap, especially if their infrastructure has just supported a campaign in the Giro.
I think they are absolutely worthy of the Tour de France, and even contenders for stages. They will however be victim to the battle for overall G.C. as it unfolds and that can take its toll on the rank and file. A huge accomplishment would be getting all nine riders to Paris- that is, on top of the huge accomplishment of even getting to the prologue…
The Protour-teams where guaranteed entry - ASO would invite a limited number of teams adding to those teams, usually one foreign team.
So much for that considering what happened with the Giro! With the Grand Tours no longer part of the UCI Pro Tour, they’re free to invite whom they please. At this point, it seems clear the three Tours are closely allied, and I think what we saw last week with the Giro will be repeated when the TdF invitees are announced as far as those Pro Tour teams who’ve been excluded. Obviously, a French team like Credit Agricole will be included. Slipstream has done a brilliant job of placing itself high on the list - they’ve basically become a Pro Tour team w/o the need, hassle, and cost of racing in every Pro Tour event. They’ve played the game well, and are being rewarded for doing so.
And if Slipstream gets in (which I hope they do, because the more Americans in the Tour, the better) that will likely mean that David Millar will get to ride. A convicted and admitted doper will be allowed to ride. And, undoubtedly, teams with no convicted dopers and no riders under investigation will be barred under the guise of “a clean image”.
Ah, irony.