More in the next news tomorrow.
The foreign teams who will make the trip are: Kross Selle-Italia and Vini Caldirola (Italy), Lokosphinx (Russia), Zaparillas-Carnac-Dennys Tours-Agua Cristal (France), and national teams from Cuba, Guatemala, Austria, Mexico, and Colombia.
Stanga said: "We have talked and now all we are waiting for is his answer. I would say a 50 per cent chance of signing him because I'm prudent by nature".
Didier Girad, Virenque's representative, informed that in addition to Polti, they are also in contact with Spanish Team Kelme and Italian Team Lampre. This last one is very interested, but Virenque prefers Polti, which has a position assured at the next Tour, where he plans to come back with vengeance. Lampre has come back to cycling this year and must earn a spot in the Tour.
If Virenque finally sign with Polti, he would ride with two good Italian climbers, Ivan Gotti (1997 Giro winner) and Davide Rebellin. But not with compatriot Luc Leblanc, who has been let go. Stanga said that Virenque's arrival didn't have anything to do with Leblanc's departure.
Kelme also has their place secured for the Tour, but in their case the disagreement seems to be financial. Virenque is no longer making the 1.4 million Euros ($US1.5 million) that he used to make, but he won't ride for less than 700,000 Euros ($US750,000), which is the amount that Festina offered him to stay and Kelme is not even close. Kelme's sport director, Alvaro Pino, who wouldn't confirm the news ("I'm not in charge of the negotiations"), wouldn't mind Virenque's signing. "If they bring him, I would obviously want to have him in the team. I would love it. He is a very interesting rider". And he doesn't see him as incompatible with Escartín. "If he came there would be no problem in giving out objectives. Kelme is a team of climbers and the more we have, the better".
But the total percentage of 16.5 is low when compared to other sports. Normally the Spanish teams don't import leading foreign riders. They typically on use foreign riders in a support capacity or when there is a major gap, like in sprinting. The exceptions of-course have been riders like Alex Zülle and Laurent Jalabert. They are special cases because they really developed in Spain.
The tendency to hire foreign riders is again on the increase for Spanish teams. From 12 in 1997, to 19 in 1998 and 21 this year. However, in 1995 and 1996 there were 34 and 30 respectively. That was because of Kelme, which ran a team exclusively for South America via the now abandoned Santa Clara. It had an agreement with Russia to give Russian professionals a start. The only riders still in the peloton are Zintchenko and Smetanine.
For this year the two most powerful teams in Spain have changed roles. ONCE used to be criticized for having a high proportion of foreign riders but they now only have three. Plus ONCE now has a Spanish leader, Abraham Olano. Meanwhile for the first time, Banesto will have a foreign leader, Alex Zülle, although he is allegedly sharing this leadership with Jiménez.
In addition to Zülle, the Navarrans have incorporated Italians Piepoli and Bruseghin and the Pole Darius Baranowski. The presence of the Polish rider at Banesto and the Austrian Peter Luttenberger at ONCE will be a first. There have never been riders from those nations in Spain.
As always, Kelme, fishes in Colombia. There was a time (1995 and 1996) when they maintained two teams and had in their roster eleven and nine Colombias respectively. This year they will have four, one of them (Castelblanco) recycled after one year in his country.
The Vitalicio Seguros rider remains at the Hospital Clínico de Valencia. He came out of intensive care on Thursday and expects to leave the hospital in three to four days. He has surpassed the danger and the doctors don't expect that he will suffer a relapse. He continues to be under observation and is not getting visitors, other than his close family. They have commented that he is in better spirits and has expressed the wish of getting back on the bike as soon as possible.
The doctors have told Benitez that he shouldn't resume training for one or two months and only after undergoing a new checkup that will guarantee his safety. Benítez is 28 and has spent six seasons as a Pro, the first five with Kelme and the last one with Vitalicio.