Tour de France - Astana leave out Pereiro for Tour

Reuters - Sat, 26 Jun 22:33:00 2010

Former champion Oscar Pereiro was omitted from Alberto Contador's Astana team for this year's Tour de France on Saturday.

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Spaniard Pereiro, who won the Tour in 2006 after American Floyd Landis was stripped of his title following a positive test for testosterone, has been in poor form this season.

"The team that will guide Alberto Contador on the road of the Tour de France is the result of a long collective team work," Astana manager Yvon Sanquer said.

Champion Contador, bidding for a third Tour title, will be helped in his challenge by Kazakh Alexander Vinokourov, Spaniards David de la Fuente, Jesus Hernandez, Daniel Navarro, Benjamin Noval, Italian Paolo Tiralongo, Ukraine's Andriy Grivko and Kazakh Maxim Iglinskiy.

The Tour de France starts on July 3 with a 8.9-km prologue in Rotterdam.

Reuters

Comment 3 - 22 of 22

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  1. AC will have a lot of climbers to help him on mountain­ stages, but Astana lack rollers.
    So, if AC gets the­ yellow jersey i predict we will see many breakaway­ stage wins.

    From Vítor, on Mon 28 Jun 14:05

  2. Bottom line-Pereiro is out, and AC is winning in every­ combination. So why wathcing the Tour? Personally,­ cause I think that many of the opponents and teams have­ already fix the strategy about the dull tempo and final­ climb, and have something other in their mind. Except­ Ricardo Rico and Piti, everyone else is in the peloton­ and less we can see is repeating of Giro2010 script.

    From marija, on Mon 28 Jun 9:14

  3. "Don't be fooled by his performance at Alpe­­ d'Huez either - I'm sure AC gifted that stage­­ to him."

    Dertie didn't gift that stage to­ anyone...he won it.

    From Thomas, on Mon 28 Jun 8:43

  4. Jani, yes, Brankovic performed exceptionally well in­ the Dauphine, not so much by beating AC but considering­ there were other good contenders for the GC also.­ Don't be fooled by his performance at Alpe­ d'Huez either - I'm sure AC gifted that stage­ to him. That's not to take anything away from the­ way he climbed the Alpe. He was impressive, and so was­ AC, as usual.

    From Jeremy, on Mon 28 Jun 8:19

  5. Except, Dertie HAS already won the Tour without a team.­ Greg Lemond did too - arguably, twice.

    When­ you're the best rider in the world, and the other­ teams insist on that dull­ tempo-for-the-entire-race-until-the-last-climb crap, it­ doesn't matter whose team is sitting at the front.

    From Thomas, on Mon 28 Jun 8:16

  6. I'm surprised how people see cycling. If you pick­ up a bike and run fast you will see how the wind can­ tire you in no time. That's why you need a good­ strong team, secialy if you go fo GC. So saing that­ Contador can win it single handed is dissrespect to­ cycling itself. Well, sitting in a chair and typing­ doesnt require muscles, and neither brains.

    From Mazilu, on Mon 28 Jun 7:29

  7. tomas.americano-- That crash was 2 years ago. If­ Pereiro was any good I'm sure Contador would have­ asked for him to be in the Tour.

    From chad, on Mon 28 Jun 7:10

  8. No problem. Where was the team last year?

    From Mike, on Mon 28 Jun 5:18

  9. Oscar is still haunted by that horrific crash in last­ year's tour and I think he's lost his desire to­ compete at this high level. He pondered retirement and­ now it looks like that may be his next move. He's a­ likeable fellow and maybe we'll see him again­ working with a team in a management role.

    From tomas.americano, on Mon 28 Jun 4:19

  10. Oscar is still haunted by that horrific crash in last­ year's tour and I think he's lost his desire to­ compete at this high level. He pondered retirement and­ now it looks like that may be his next move. He's a­ likeable fellow and maybe we'll see him again­ working with a team in a management role.

    From tomas.americano, on Mon 28 Jun 4:18

  11. I myself have never heard anyone refer to Contador, a­ quiet, focused and hard-working gentleman and one of­ the greatest living athletes, as a 'spoiled­ child'.
    And, I really like Brankovic and he's­ tremendously gifted, but he's still very young and­ the Dauphine is NOT the Tour.
    Stephen S

    From Stephen S, on Mon 28 Jun 4:06

  12. You Brajkovic supporters are doing the usual trick of­ thinking a rider can compete in the Tour just because­ he's had a few good days in a minor stage race.­ Yes, Brajkovic has shown promise in the past and­ continues to do so, but if you know your cycling­ you'll know that competing for the Tour title is a­ completely different level, for many different reasons.­ We see this year after year - a rider has a good race­ and all of a sudden he's a tour contender (even the­ Giro winners, bar Basso, have found the Tour a level­ too far). Like you, I'd love to see Brajkovic­ challenge but I can't see it happening. However,­ I'd also love to be proved very wrong as I like the­ rider. I've just learnt to be a realist and a cynic­ over the years! Whatever happens, let's just have a­ good, exciting, clean and memorable Tour.

    From Ready Salted, on Mon 28 Jun 4:05

  13. Contador doesn't need a team behind him, just for­ the first few days until they hit the mountains, then­ it's every man for themself

    From SteveJ, on Mon 28 Jun 3:07

  14. Contador will win this by 8 minues plus.Braijkovic beat­ him because he was still in preparations and Janez will­ work for LA and not be allowed to go for it and he­ probably had his peak at dauphine and is now tired

    From Trifa, on Mon 28 Jun 0:46

  15. 5 Spaniards in the team - Astana is showing to Contador­ that the team is going to work for him and not for­ Vinokourov. It has been a pleasant change for Contador­ if we compare the last year's team and this one.

    From veksleri, on Sun 27 Jun 21:42

  16. Who exactly views Contador as a spoiled chid? Quotes­ and names please.

    From Justin, on Sun 27 Jun 20:32
  17. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Terry, no doubt Contador is a champion. It is­ unfortunate that a lot view him as a spoiled child. I­ would way rather see Janez sweep the race. He was­ outstanding the the Dauphine! It would be nice to see­ Lance compete again BUT this probably won't happen.­ I will be rooting for him though..

    From Gary, on Sun 27 Jun 15:05

  18. Cwipes! me & Thomas agree 2 days on the trot! Was­ signed for one job only - and misses the gig­ ............ Wow!

    From RiChArD, on Sun 27 Jun 14:27

  19. Wow, there's a surprise.

    True, he's had a­ dreadful season, but, just, wow...

    From Thomas, on Sun 27 Jun 13:34
  20. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    terry, contadoor has alot on his plate. we will win if­ we win the race and if we win.
    go The Shack and go­ Sky. Watch out for Vande Velde, he may produce. 1 LA 2­ Wiggens 3 Thomas

    From Mark S, on Sun 27 Jun 13:22
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