Which ProTour teams will be left out in the cold by the ASO?

Bro Deal

At the end of the 2006 season the GTs said they would only guarantee slots to eighteen ProTour teams for the 2007 season and sixteen for the 2008 season. The ASO has divorced itself completely from the ProTour, but simple math also leaves sixteen slots.

If rumors are true the ASO will invite Slipstream. Moreau, the reigning French champion, is on Agritubel, so that team needs to be invited. It would be a shame if Barloworld with Soler was not in the race. Add another Pro Continental French team and that is four slots, leaving sixteen for ProTour teams.

Which two ProTour teams will get shut out?

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"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates

Crankyfeet

Just for reference...here's the 17 teams they have listed on UCI's 2008 Pro Tour team list:

Ag2r (Fra)
Bouygues Telecom (Fra)
Caisse d'Epargne (Esp)
Cofidis (Fra)
Credit Agricole (Fra)
Euskaltel-Euskadi (Esp)
Francaise Des Jeux (Fra)
Gerolsteiner (Ger)
High Road (Ger)
Lampre (Ita)
Liquigas (Ita)
Quick Step (Bel)
Rabobank (Ned)
Saunier Duval-Scott (Esp)
Silence-Lotto (Bel)
Team CSC (Den)
Team Milram (*)

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Bro Deal

That doesn't include Astana. Didn't the UCI accept Astana's ProTour status?

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"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates

Crankyfeet

Maybe they haven't updated the website.

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Crankyfeet

The fact that they only said they would guarantee 16 slots doesn't mean they can't invite the full 18 though .

I think they were just giving themselves an option to be able to leave a couple of teams out without legal ramifications perhaps.

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earth_dweller

There were 21 teams invited last year and 20 in 2006. So let's go with 20 this year.

The 5 French PT teams will definitely be invited: Credit Agricole, Francaise des Jeux, Bouygues Telecom, Cofidis and Ag2r. I agree that Agritubel will also be there.

The other PT teams as listed will probably be invited, so Astana should be very worried. But will the ASO not invite the reigning winner especially after touting him as clean and part of the young new 'clean' generation.

I think Barloworld might take the bullet so to speak as ASO will prefer a French continental team like Agritubel or Slipstream to them. I do think that Barloworld will be invited to the Giro tho which seems to be their goal this year.

So I guess that so far I don't see which PT team would not be invited.

well that was a pretty useless post...

Crankyfeet

No...it was very informative. No sarcasm.

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Bro Deal

I was thinking the ASO will flex its muscles and stick it to the UCI by not inviting all the ProTour teams.

Looking at the ProConti teams, there is only a single French team, Agritubel.

Here is the list:

ELK HAUS - SIMPLON AUT
TEAM VOLKSBANK AUT
LANDBOUWKREDIET - TONISSTEINER BEL
TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN BEL
PSK WHIRLPOOL - AUTHOR CZE
ANDALUCIA - CAJASUR ESP
GRUPO NICOLAS MATEOS-MURCIA ESP
KARPIN GALICIA ESP
MITSUBISHI-JARTAZI EST
AGRITUBEL FRA BAR
BARLOWORLD GBR
CSF GROUP NAVIGARE IRL
LPR BRAKES IRL
ACQUA SAPONE - CAFFE MOKAMBO ITA
TINKOFF CREDIT SYSTEMS ITA
SKIL-SHIMANO NED BENFICA POR
NGC MEDICAL - OTC INDUTRIA PORTE SUI
BMC RACING TEAM USA
HEALTH NET PRESENTED BY MAXXIS USA
SLIPSTREAM CHIPOTLE PRESENTED BY H30 USA
SERRAMENTI PVC DIQUIGIOVANNI-ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI VEN

Maybe there is not a good enough selection to replace some Protour teams. Slipstream and Agritubel have to be there.

__________________
"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates

earth_dweller

Yep, I do think that ASO would like to flex its muscles, nothing they like better than to piss off the UCI. So either they not invite Astana due to their history or they don't invite an Italian or Spanish team that is more interested in their own tour (Giro and/or Vuelta).

But like I said, not inviting Astana, would be shooting themselves in the foot as the young, clean winner is part of that team. Of course, unless some more doping charges come out before the Tour.

That leaves the Italian and Spanish teams.
Lampre? Liquigas? Saunier-Duval?

They could always not invite CSC due to Riis but I don't think ASO is that stupid.

You're right, the only Pro Conti teams of interest are probably Agritubel, Slipstream. Hey isn't Barloworld a Pro Conti team?

Bro Deal

Yes, they are in the list.

I would like to see Slipstream, Barloworld, and Agritubel. Which would mean only one ProTour team would have to be left out.

__________________
"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates

Crankyfeet

So Milram and Gerolsteiner get a pass and are invited?

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earth_dweller

Milram, yep cos ASO wants Petacchi to fight for the green jersey. Gerolsteiner? aren't they a sponsor of something for the Tour? so yes to Gerolsteiner.

Crankyfeet

Effectively... they can't drop previously invited teams if those teams have done nothing wrong...correct?

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earth_dweller

well no, they can do whatever they like as ASO is no longer part of the ProTour.