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Finally someone talks about the 2008 Slipstream Team!

Slipstream signs Backstedt, Swede brings Celeste colored bikes with him...

As reported here first during the early stages of the Tour. 

Magnus Backstedt has signed with Slipstream to add to the already growing firepower.

Rumor has it he is bringing Bianchi with him to add to the lineup a first class bike company. Bianchi wants to be back in the Pro Peloton. Other possible sponsors: Hincapie Clothing, Hyatt Hotels, Shimano (since Stetina's kid is on the team), Chipolte Restaurants ABN-Amro, not sure if Powertap will be back.

Wonder what the blood bath will be for the young guys on the team since most of them will probably not be on the team for next year.

I still think that Tyler Farrar will join the team. Unconfirmed, but I could see and if Saul Raisin is cleared to race in the Pro Peloton again, he might join the team if Credit Agricole does not resign him.

Dave MILLAR Dave Zabrieske AND Christian VANDEVELDE CONFIRM WITH SLIPSTREAM | Davids vs. Goliath!

Vaughters finally made public what you powertapgeek readers already knew. AS first reported in March, here!  For all the UK readers thanks for the links. I try to bring you the freshest news.

Jonathan Vaughters has confirmed three new signings to his Team Slipstream squad for 2008, including the widely rumoured move of Briton David Millar. The American, who has set his sights on taking Slipstream to the Tour de France in 2008, has been courting some high profile riders for his '08 Professional Continental squad's lineup and has finally confirmed Saunier Duval's Millar as one of them.

In addition to Millar, Vaughters has reportedly confirmed on Eurosport the recruitment of two Team CSC stars in Christian Vande Velde and Dave Zabriskie.

The signing of three experienced Tour de France riders is a step in the right direction for the team owned and underpinned by New York business investor Doug Ellis.

Powertap Scores Tour de France Podium 2 years

Dirk Friel- who has been working Lotto-Predictor reminded me to day that Powertap has been used by podium finishers for the last two years. Cadel even has a cameo on the powertap site.

Nice job. I will follow up with the Predictor guys to see if the calculate his wattage during the event and why he did not use a PT like Floyd did.

Power to the Elite People

Velonews showcases the commitment that T-mobile and SRM have made to the tour.

Wireless unit is in the works. Probably to help offset the possible on slaught of power meters that may come to the market since the SRM patent expires this year. I am aware of at least 3 new units in development.

The author says that you'll never see the unit on a winners bike. Well did he miss a guy named Floyd last year.

Last I checked he won the RACE with a Powertap!

Full Slipstream Ahead...

Vaughters is getting close to spilling the beans. In a recent Cyclingnews.com story

Returning to not naming names for next year, one can probably make some educated   guesses as to who Vaughters is looking at. "I am talking about what the team   is for next year, what the core fundamental of the team is - that it is an American   team with a base of American riders," he said. "We are going to be continuing   with at least 12 to 15 of the guys we have this year. They will be the core,   not necessarily the stars, but the core. We are proud that we have gotten them   to the point where they can handle the high level of racing we are going to.

Bianchi is rumored to be interested in the team and would Backstedt to be on the team to strengthen their relationship with be under."

When do you think they'll announce Hincapie to T-Mobile?

Velonews tried to pry it out of Stapleton today. I am sure they are waiting until the rest day to have all the media there and make a big announcement.

Z-man in argyle

Cyclingnews interviewed Dave Z and if you think that the Slipstream team is a myth or bogus.

Vande Velde is a good friend with Jonathan Vaughters, who is reportedly ramping   up his Professional Continental Slipstream-Chipotle team for 2008. "Vaughters   has done a great thing with the young American guys, I think he is definitely   going in the right direction," Zabriskie noted, before outlining he could be   interested in riding for his countryman's team. "Yes, it is possible. It is   something I have to think about pretty seriously.

Power Generators Part 3

This story first broke here is beginning to gain some steam.

 

USA Professional team Slipstream has big plans for next year and gives some hope for a new future of pro-cycling. Under the management of ex-pro rider Jonathan Vaughters, assisted by a.o. ex-pro Frankie Andreu, the team seems to have (pre-)contracted already several top-riders for next year. Named are  a.o.

Marcus Backstedt (Swe) = Liquigas; David Cañada Gracia (Spa) and David Millar (GBr) = both Saunier; Christophe Laurent (Fra) = Crédit Agricole; David Zabriskie (Usa) = Team Riis; Martijn Maaskant (Ned) = Rabo Continental, who should have signed for 2 years leider, while also Jérôme Pineau (Fra) and Thomas Voeckler (Fra) = both Bouyges Telecom seems to be contracted.

New sponsor of the team will be Chipotle (a Mexican restaurant chain) and as co-sponsor ABN AMRO is named. The budget should be around 8 million Euro next year.

They aim for a doping-free cycling world. Each year - each rider will go through 50 bloodtests and 50 urine tests; which seems to be much more (5 times) than the average team is doing. The costs (around 20.000 dollar per rider) are payed by the Agency for Cycling Ethics, which got their money from gifts and (co-)sponsors.

This team will not apply for a Pro Tour licence as - in their opinion - the participation in the 3 Major Tours it too much for the team. But they are now lobying already for a wild-card in the biggest event, The Tour de France.

Clearly the team is trying to gain some French Horsepower to earn a bid in the 2008 Tour de France.

Who was the guy they tried to sign that was the final wildcard: The team was hoping to sign Hincapie as the major coup. But Big George could not pass up the promise of a Classic win with T-Mobile.

Andreu being on the team is news to me. He still is not listed on the staff roster. He still carries too much baggage in the PR side of the business so I would be surprised if he made the team.

Depending on how Levi does he may sign with this team or go Euro gain if Johan and the guys cannot find new sponsors.

Contracts cannot be official (per UCI rules) until sometime during the Tour de France. So wait for the announcement.

Tour de Powertap

Robbie Ventura and Allen Lim are providing powertap users an insight into the Tour de France.

Great tips like how to wash your kits in the hotel sink.

Hope they actually having something interesting come Saturday.

Power up its Tour time...

Greenville SC Climbs via Google Maps

Ever wonder why some of us moved to SC for biking? Coach Boyd like me relocated here because of the ideal weather, traffic and climbing. Yes for all of you who think we have no mountains check this map out.

Hincapie Leaves Discovery for...

Well this has been under wraps for quite some time. But with some of the European media finally catching on it was time to spill the beans...

George Hincapie is leaving Discovery Channel for the pinker pastures of T-Mobile. It seems that the opportunity to be a team leader in his beloved classics was too much to pass up. I expect that the announcement will leak fully in the coming days or weeks. [UCI rules dictate that the announcements can not be official until late July.]

Hincapie is nearing the end of his career so this may be his last team he rides for.  T-Mobile really beats out its competitors by signing Hincapie.

First, the most prolific Active American rider of his generation. Neither Jullich nor Leipheimer can hold a candle to Hincapie in terms of popularity. Plus the other guys have never had much commercial success.

Second T-mobile gains probably one of the cleanest racers in the world. I mean who else  has raced this long without any doping whispers. A true boost to the reputation Bill Stapleton is trying to project.

Third, T-Mobile gets a  high quality rider that throws down for his team mates and can deliver the goods if need be.

Fourth T-Mobile gets an American to boost the sponsorship on this side of the country.

Hincapie gets a team that this year has proven can race the classics. They have a tremendous amount of young talented riders.

US racing will gain the full support of its races by T-Mobile adding one more team racing frequently on our shores.

Discovery has some answers because of this. They lose their super-star. Even if Leipheimer does well we all know who will be there day in and day out. They probably lost him with the Basso affair and not signing any loyal Classics guy to really control a race for Hincapie. The BS that Hoste pulled last year was a shame since George had Boonen covered.

I wonder how Armstorng and Bruyneel will spin this one when reporters start shoving mics in their face asking if this had anything to do with doping or their failure to secure sponsors. 

I think that Discovery Channel is scrambling to find sponsorship. You rarely if ever hear it mentioned outside of the doping scandals. Landis's trial is over without much conclusion from the media. Most main stream US media have written cycling off to the same joke Baseball and Wrestling have become with the dopers winning and everyone lying.

If I were George I would pray that other former T-Mobile alumni ( Ullrich and the rest of the old T-Mobile guard) go off and disappear so that the T-Mobile executives still approve the budgets for the sponsorship and don't bail out at the last minute like Cofids and Franke did recently.

George beat the other Discovery guys out of the gate by getting a deal done before the silly season of the Tour begins. Some guys are probably going to have take a pay cut since sponsors are harder to come by...

Go George.