So now Trek have no team. Discovery gone means a ProTour license has opened up too.

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http://worksrider.wordpress.com/

Hmm Trek has no team and Astana needs bikes...someone needs to be on the phone.

Slipstream are so far lacking a strong GC rider... I'd bet that Leipheimer has just shot to the top of their shopping list.

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Nice bike... you ever take it off any sweet jumps?

I remember Vaughters saying he isnt sure if he wants a pro tour license yet because he doesnt have a strong enough squad to do all 3 grand tours.

In another article about the team, Neil at Road said they are a little short on money after paying the recent signings, so he's looking into getting some younger riders (maybe Devine?)

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My CAAD 9 BB30

Even Evans might be someone for Slipstream to look for, regarding a GC rider, considering their "we are clean" attitude.

But I feel sorry for the Slipstream riders who've been kicked off the team, and whoever is balancing the books, because running the team as Slipstream last year was basically putting the team into debt, and unless they can arrange a new sponsor (unlikely, when you look at Discovery folding, the Unibet debacle, T-mobile taking a good hard look, Cofidis gone) all of these big budget riders will be eating nothing but their pride by the end of the year if the money isn't coming in.

They have a "sugar daddy". I don't remember his name and am too lazy to look it up. He's some millionaire who covers the difference between sponsor dollars and expenses.

Personally, I think that's pretty cool. I'd like to think that's something I'd do if I had the money.

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Self-Proclaimed Resident Master Fattie - Vicious DC Slither

Exactly right.....Slipstream is spending a very large portion of their operating fund on their testing program (10% is the figure I heard). And for their expenditure, they bought some good press, good rapport with the big tour organizers and finally(most importantly) they have essentially built in an 'insurance policy' of sorts for whomever steps up to sponsor them.

The only worry I have about Slipstream's testing program stems from a comment I read in an interview with JV. While explaining the course of their program, he essentially said that they are doing 'biomonitoring' to look for changes in the rider's 'chemistry', but not testing directly for EPO, Testost...or other enhancers. He commented that they would leave those tests to the existing UCI testers........Personally, if I was making that big of an investment, I would not want to leave that critical portion of the testing to the UCI.... If I were going to do it, I'd do the whole thing instead of just a portion......

Felts are nice bikes..... and their TT bike is pretty slippery looking while remaining reasonably light....

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My Vellum Equilibrium
My Crappy Blog

Just so you can sleep tonight, his name is Doug Ellis. He's a New York Investor of some sort. Stock I presume.

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www.ChrisDiRe.com

Maybe I'm just naive, but did I miss something? Did Cofidis pull their sponsorship?

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www.ChrisDiRe.com

Not yet, they have a contract till end 2008. But then it's over.

Ok - must've gotten confused with that, so make that Cofidis going

Isn't Credit Agricole ending or reviewing their sponsorship at the end of the year?

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Nice bike... you ever take it off any sweet jumps?

News Flash: Matt White signs with Slipstream.

Heres what Trek said about becoming a Slipstream sponsor:



cyclingnews:



So it looks like Felt will continue into 2008. cool.

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My CAAD 9 BB30

In 2008, as Cofidis.

So...there could be a few more Pro Tour spots for Slipstreams or whoever else!

Depending, of course, if Pro Tour will be still around!

The Bio testing is a huge plus.

Pez just posted a comment and it left out the one thing I would like to see and that is team management held accountable, and this is a key ingredient to that.

Team Doctors doing performance testing throughout the year is a very good way to monitor. So good in fact that no doped rider should ever lose his job without the manager and team doctor being fired as well.

a rider who's VO2 Max, crit level watts at LT threshold changes a cerytain amount in a short enough period of time is easy to spot and hold out.

Team Doctors at this point recognize that fantastic gains and simply make sure the riders crit is manipulated to stay low... Simply put, team doctors are keeping riders testable, not clean.

What they should be is internally suspending them as they know what the risk is, then if it shos again, they lose a job.

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charles@pezcyclingnews.com