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Slipstream bolsters Tour bid with runner-up finish in Qatar kickoff
The likelihood of a Tour de France bid for Slipstream-Chipotle was already looking good before Sunday’s impressive second-place showing in the opening team time trial at the Tour of Qatar.
With Tour de France boss Christian Prudhomme quietly looking on, the team missed victory by just two seconds to powerhouse Quick Step to show Tour brass and everyone else that the team has the on-bike brawn to back up its mantra of clean racing.
Without giving too much away, Prudhomme told VeloNews that the team’s strong anti-doping message coupled with its solid lineup gives the American squad just the kind of profile the Tour is looking for as it mulls invitations for the 2008 edition.
“We look on with interest at their project,” Prudhomme said in an interview before Sunday’s stage. “Their philosophy of how they run their team is in line with ours, on the same path that is the future of cycling. They have quality riders. We look positively on what they are building.”
Slipstream-Chipotle learned this month it was assured of a spot in May’s Giro d’Italia and it could be only a matter of time before it earns more good news. Prudhomme said an announcement could come in as soon as two weeks, but refused to put a firm date on when the Tour’s selection will be finalized.
Several factors are stacking up in Slipstream-Chipotle’s favor.
Following its contentious break with the UCI’s ProTour concept, the Tour is free to invite whichever teams it wants to this year’s race and is putting a strong anti-doping ethic at the forefront of pre-conditions.
Prudhomme said the Tour’s top priority in 2008 is avoiding the disastrous doping scandals that have plagued the race the past two editions.
“We want a clean Tour. Cycling cannot afford more scandals,” Prudhomme continued. “Slipstream’s philosophy is the same philosophy of the future of cycling. They are not the only team. There are others. It’s the only way to go.”
The disappearance of Discovery Channel from the cycling landscape at the end of last season also bolsters Slipstream’s chances of earning a valuable bid to the season’s marquee race.
“A U.S. team is important for cycling,” Prudhomme continued. “It’s an important market for cycling and for the Tour. We like the Americans in the race.”
Team management has been quietly campaigning to earn a Tour bid for months. Jonathan Vaughters has met with Prudhomme and other Tour staff on several occasions.
David Millar, the team captain here at the Tour of Qatar, took a few moments to speak with Prudhomme during a break at the posh Ritz-Carlton in Doha, where Tour officials are encamped with Qatar tour riders during this weeklong race.
“Things are looking good for the Tour,” Millar said. “We have all a strong team. We’re going to prove that here at the race.”
With all the backroom wrangling moving in the right direction, the team is still keen to demonstrate it deserves a place in the Tour.
That sense of mission was clearly on display in Sunday’s short but intense effort in the 6km team time trial along the Doha Corniche.
The team hammered the flat course and looked to have the fastest time when defending champions Quick Step nipped them by less than three seconds.
Sport director Johnny Weltz, riding behind the wheel for the third year, slapped his fist against the steering wheel of the team car when he heard the news.
“Baagh, of course we wanted to win. We did everything right today. The team is super-motivated and the only one to beat us was Quick Step, who always does well here and comes here with perhaps a few more kilometers in their legs,” Weltz said.
“This result today shows that we’re on the right track. We have a complete team and there are some guys who aren’t here who only make the team stronger. We’re concentrating on that big goal (of the Tour bid). We’ve proved today that we can put together a strong performance on the road.”
That sense of mission only reinforces the team’s growing optimism that the argyle of Slipstream-Chipotle will be represented among the starters in Brest, France, come July.
