Tour de France teams announced

RobFowl

"The 16 teams automatically selected teams under the 2008 agreement are: Team Milram, Quick Step, Omega Pharma-Lotto, Team Saxo Bank, Caisse d'Epargne, Euskaltel-Euskadi, Footon-Servetto, HTC-Columbia, AG2R La Mondiale, Bbox Bouygues Telecom, Cofidis, Francaise des Jeux, Lampre-Farnese, Liquigas-Doimo, Astana, and Rabobank.
Wild card invitations: Garmin-Transitions, Team RadioShack, BMC Racing Team, Team Sky, Katusha, and Cervelo TestTeam."


http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-organiser-announces-22-team-for-2010-race

No Skil-Shimano or Vacansoleil and the worst looking jersey in the peleton gets a start !!

Chips Lovell

The only reason Footon Servetto are there is because of a 2008 agreement that said of the 2008 pro tour teams were entitled to an invite for the following two years. They were disinvited last year because of blotting their copybook in 2008, but I presume the organisers felt too much time had passed to enable them to do the same this year.

That, new signings by BNC and the creation of Sky and Radioshack meant that Skil and Vacansoleil were left out in the cold.

niceonetom

Disappointed not to see Vacans Soleil on the list. I thought the Feillu brothers would make them a shoo-in and Johnny Hoogerland is always an aggressive racer. I think their kit is even uglier than the footon lot too.

ROK ON

Offtopic.

But thinking that Giro could be pretty interesting this year compared to the TDF. Seems as if some teams accept Contadors dominance and are maybe focusing on Giro (Evans, Wiggins and Sastre but has no real form).
Just an idle thought.
Pity about Skil and Vacan. They certainly bust a gut in many races so far this year to get some exposure. Plus I had to admire the gutsiness of Kenny Van Hummell at last years tour.

niceonetom

ROK ON wrote: »

But thinking that Giro could be pretty interesting this year compared to the TDF.

It certainly was last year :P.

velopeloton

Looking good for 3 Irish riders in Le Tour.

Captain Havoc

velopeloton wrote: »

Looking good for 3 Irish riders in Le Tour.

Hopefully, I'll make sure to have a tricolour with me when I'm in Montargis.

emtroche

Thats a bummer for Skil-Shimano and Vacansoleil. Would've liked to have seen one of them there preferably the latter.

I'd say Vacansoleil are regretting sponsoring Paris Nice now!

Slideshowbob

Does Skil-Shimano really merit a place just because they have Kenny (the worst climber in the TDF) Van Hummel?

Apart from stronger cycling merits, if you look at the wild cards you can see dollars/euros beside each one:

Garmin, Shack, BMC, Cervelo (American Teams)

Katusha (Russian conglomerate, part funded by Gazprom turned over 98bn in 2008, wowsers!)

Sky (Box thing on your TV)

niceonetom

Slideshowbob wrote: »

Does Skil-Shimano really merit a place just because they have Kenny (the worst climber in the TDF) Van Hummel?

They haven't got a place.