Cycling News Flash, March 17, 2009

Edited by Gregor Brown and Sue George

Tour de France announces 20 teams – Fuji out

Team Fuji-Servetto
Photo ©: Roberto Bettini

Organiser of the Tour de France, Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), announced the teams that will participate the 2009 edition, from July 4 to 26. Professional Continental teams Cervélo TestTeam, Skil-Shimano and Agritubel are on the list, but ProTour team Fuji-Servetto did not get an invitation to race.

Fuji-Servetto is the incarnation of Saunier Duval, the 2008 team of Riccardo Riccò and Leonardo Piepoli. Both riders tested positive at the race last year for Erythropoietin (EPO) CERA. The team subsequently withdrew from the race.

Cervélo TestTeam is the formation of 2008 champion Carlos Sastre. The Switzerland-based team joined Dutch Skil Skil-Shimano (with Jonathan Hivert, who finished eighth in ASO's Paris-Nice last week) and French Agritubel (team of French favourite Christophe Moreau).

There will be 20 teams in total for the French Grand Tour. Three Professional Continental teams (listed above) and 17 of the 18 ProTour teams: Milram, Quick Step, Silence-Lotto, Saxo Bank, Caisse d'Epargne, Euskaltel-Euskadi, Garmin-Slipstream, Columbia-Highroad, AG2R La Mondiale, Bbox Bouygues Telecom, Cofidis, Française des Jeux, Lampre-NGC, Liquigas, Astana, Rabobank and Katusha. (GB)

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