Tour de France Team Talk Rest Day

It was a rest day on the Tour de France yesterday and the biggest buzz was the news that almost all the ProTeams will not register a such in 2009, sparking the following response by the World Governing body, the UCI -

The International Cycling Union has noted the teams’ intention not to renew their UCI ProTour licence's for 2009.

This decision was entirely foreseeable in view of the meetings held recently between the teams and the management of ASO. The UCI notes that the teams have once again succumbed to pressure from the management of ASO, whose aim for the last four years has been to destroy the UCI ProTour.

By signing the agreement that ASO’s management has imposed on them, the teams appear to want to join the parallel system that ASO is seeking to put in place. The UCI is looking into the situation and will take the necessary decisions in due course.

The teams spent the day going on training rides, undertaking interviews and simply spending time catching their breath.

The Lampre’s riders spent 90 minutes pedaling, then in the afternoon massages and relax.

Piovani, Lampre’s sport director, commented the team situation: “We thought Cunego could be more competitive in this first part of Tour, but he always gives his best. Ambitions in the overall standing are now low, but you never can tell - Damiano’s form has to increase in order to be competitive and perform in the Alps”.

Leonardo Piepoli and Rubens Bertogliati -whose back has been hurting since he crashed in stage 2 to Saint Brieuc- took the day off. Riccardo Riccò, on the other hand, had a short training session using the rollers at the hotel. The other riders went riding for two hours.

Riccardo Rico - "Yesterday (Stage 10) I paid the price for my attack the day before. I had a bad moment, but I kept the pace and eventually managed to be in the group of favourites. Evans is one of the leaders in this race; he´s been training for the Tour and it shows. But there´s no clear pattern anyway. Personally, I´ll go on taking one day at a time. Not being under pressure, as I was in the Giro, where I had to be in the lead in all the stages, has been good. I´ve been more relaxed in France so far and the results have been excellent. The team put up a great show in the last two stages, and I´ll put in as many attacks as my legs allow me to. Whether I prefer a stage win in L´Alpe-d´Huez (stage 17) or a place on the final podium? The stage win, no doubt. I´m not interested in the GC this year, unless winning the Tour is within reach. Otherwise, I´ll seek more stage wins. As to the KOM jersey, De la Fuente is a strong candidate. If the jersey stays on my shoulders, it won´t be as a result of any special efforts, for I won´t sprint in category-3 climbs."

Juanjo Cobo - "I´m glad I´ve gone back to my original goal, being among the top ten, after a bad week resulting from my lousy performance in the time-trial. I´ve improved my climbing skills, and it shows here. After what we did yesterday, I could even dream of being among the top five, but it´s better not to get ahead of ourselves. Taking one day at a time has been a good strategy so far. It´s to early to think of the final podium. Where would I like to claim victory? I don´t care where. Any stage. Riccardo says he wants to win in L´Alpe-d´Huez, so let´s leave stage 17 to him. Any other will do for me: flat, hilly, time-trial, it´s the same."

Leonardo Piepoli- "Yesterday (Stage 10) I didn´t have a perfect day. In the early slopes I was only thinking of being among the ten best riders. But then I began to feel better. I didn´t think the attach with Schleck would be the good one as it was the first one, but sometimes you´re wrong in your perceptions. This victory is very dear to me. Winning in this team´s outfit and in a one-two with Cobo, who´s been with me since the birth of the team, is just great. The team´s key to success is a good atmosphere. Being part of a small team involves extra motivation, and having been together for so long is of great emotional help.".

Looking forward the team think that stage 11's route is difficult to assess and that will probably please the escapists. The course features only one difficulty, the Col de la Crouzette and nobody should get dropped here.

“After the rest day, another demanding stage follows immediately,” said Niki Terpstra. “The stage course passes close to the Spanish border, so the Spanish teams will surely show themselves again. The profile looks suitable for many attacks and breakaway attempts.”

Race leader Cadel Evans and the team spent the day with some light training followed by time to relax.

Cadel also faced a sea of cameras and microphones in the afternoon. Film of Evans and his yellow jersey at - /www.yellforcadel.com/

Oscar Friere is in Green and Dennis Menchov is not far off the race lead.

Team DS Erik Breukink said after stage 10 - "Oscar was very smart, important and strong today. That green is good for the morale and for the team. He was also able to serve as a perfect assistant to Denis between the Tourmalet and the Hautacam. And Valverde and Cunego, I think we got rid of them."

Erik Breukink said of Evans on the Hautacam climb - "I find it a bit strange how Evans responded in the first part of the Hautacam. He wanted to do nothing but to stay in Menchov’s wheel, while it was up to Evans to take the yellow jersey. He was in the best position. If he had simply ridden along earlier, the difference would not have been one second but a lot more."

"At about halfway through the Hautacam, it became very clear to us that Evans and Menchov again were very equally-matched. Denis initiated two or three attempts to see what kind of response it would trigger, but Evans was alert and strong. The other way round though, Evans started off carefully and then all of a sudden started to attack instead of riding one tempo. We did not quite get that."

Alejandro Valverde lost time on stage 10 and his 2008 Tour de France hopes are in tatters.

He said on his Blog - "Six months of hopes, six months of expectations, awaiting the Tour de France with impatience. Six months gone in a single stage". More than a failure, more than a hard blow, this is a true disillusionment."

He does not intend to give up and will now target stage wins in the Alps, and those closing at the Prato Nevoso and Jausiers. He may also go for the Green Jersey.

David Millar reflects on the team website - "Half way through the race. That’s ten stages down, and I think few of my fellow racers would disagree that the most stressful stages of the Tour are now behind us. We’ve had a great start to the race, what with Will’s fantastic second place and my near miss in the time trial the first week. But nothing prepared us for the stunning race Christian has got himself mixed up in."

"He’s (Christian Vandevelde) lying in third place, a comfortable and confident third place at that. To see him racing with the best climbers in the world up Hautacam was simply awesome. Then to hear him tell me he was within himself and finished with bullets to fire was almost shocking. I, in the mean time, was having an awful day on the bike, having no choice but to complete the stage in the grupetto. That was hard physically and mentally. I would have loved nothing more than to be able to help out Christian before he got to Hautacam instead of having him isolated at the front of the race. It made me quite down not being able to even be his domestique. After all the training we’ve done together, and work we’ve put in, it wasn’t nice not being anywhere near his level. I can but hope that was my worst day of this Tour and I’ll be able to help him at some point when he needs it.

Having Christian assume this role of serious Tour contender has given the team a different lease of life. We are now transforming into a disciplined tight unit. Whereas before we were quite relaxed and yet aggressive in our tactics, now we are forming a more conservative guarding format. Our sole purpose it to serve as Christians bodyguards.

Team Barloworld's Mauricio Soler has headed home to Columbia after being forced to retire from the Tour de France on stage five following a crash on the opening stage of the race.

Soler left Italy for Columbia on Monday with his left wrist in plaster after seeing Italian orthopedic specialist Dr. Archetti, who also recommended that Soler wears a stiff brace on his right hand for two weeks. Soler will also undergo a scan in the near future to study the healing of his fracture in his left wrist; he will also undergo physiotherapy on both injuries.

Soler is expected to return to Italy in the first week of August when other check-ups will be carried out with Team Barloworld's medical staff.

"Mauricio will probably race again at the end of August but it's a little early to say exactly when and where," Team Barloworld manager Claudio Corti said

Herve Duclos Lassalle, Cofidis - stage 1 - crash
Angel Gomez, Saunier Duval - stage 3 - crash
Maurico Soler, Barloworld - stage 5 - injuries from an earlier crash
Aurelien Passeron, Saunier Duval - stage 6 - failed to start (Hit a spectator the previous day)
Magnus Backstedt, Garmin Chipotle - stage 7 - outside time limit
Lilian Jegou, FD Jeux - stage 7 - crash
Christophe Moreau, Agritubel - stage 7, bad back
John Gadret, AG2R - stage 7
Mauro Facci, Quickstep, - stage 7
Manuel Beltran, Liquigas - stage 7 - withdrawn before start after positive dope test
Yury Trofimov Bouyges Telecom - stage 10 - withdrawn before start

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