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2000 Tour de France Teams Reactions Summary Complete Route Climbs The final selection - 21 teams for le Tour By Gerard Knapp The lucky final five are Lotto, Euskaltel-Euskadi and CSC World Online, with two French teams, Big Mat and La Francaise des Jeux making up a total of 21 teams to contest the 2001 Tour de France. LeBlanc first announced Lotto, selected due to its fine early season form. The Belgian team was the only real favourite based on results to gain selection. The next team he announced was the Spanish Euskaltel-Euskadi outfit, which features multiple Tour stage winner David Etxebarria. LeBlanc praised the team for its efforts in reaching Division 1 status this year (Div 2 last year) and it features some promising young riders for the mountains. The selection of CSC World Online was no real surprise, given that it contains French legend Laurent Jalabert and is managed by former winner Bjarne Riis. But LeBlanc also pointed to Rolf Sorensen, Arvis Piziks and Jacob Piil as all quality riders who would ride well. Then came the hotly contested fourth wildcard, and LeBlanc dropped the bombshell on the hopes of the Italian squads, the emerging US team of Mercury-Viatel, and cycling fans around the world who will not see Mario Cipollini in action, nor a showdown in the mountains with Marco Pantani. Instead of announcing the fourth spot, LeBlanc announced that two French squads - La Francaise des Jeux and Big Mat - Auber 93 - would be the final two selections for the 2001 Tour. Out of the 21 teams to ride the Tour this year, eight will be French and four will be Division 2, which puts a different spin on the race only featuring the best teams in the world. However, if lower-ranked French teams do not get a start in the Tour, then their existence is threatened and given the lobbying by the Big Mat and FDJ management, both teams were given their start. Cyclingnews learned at the press conference that Big Mat had committed an additional five million French francs to ensure the team could compete in this year's Tour. LeBlanc made mention of the Italian squads, such as Mercatone Uno and Saeco. However, LeBlanc said he could not be confident of Marco Pantani's condition in July and also recognised Mario Cipollini's record of having the most stage wins of any current rider in the Tour de France. However, although Saeco have performed well in the early season LeBlanc said that they and Mercatone Uno would have their chance in the Giro d'Italia, which starts later this month. As for the emerging US squad of Mercury-Viatel, LeBlanc said they had performed well early on in the season, but did not offer any further reasons for non-selection. Following the press conference, cyclingnews online editor Jeff Jones spoke with Mercury team director John Wordin, who believed the final selections by the Societe "were not in the best interests of the sport". "It's their race, they should do what they want, you have to respect their decision. But at the same time the race takes on a certain 'globalness' and by not having the best teams in the race, it's not in the best interests of the sport," Wordin said. While not looking outwardly shattered, selection in the Tour de France was vital for Wordin and Mercury-Viatel, which also had triple Tour winner Greg LeMond on hand for additional input and lobbying. Wording said. "We'll still be around," he said of the team's future. "The reasons that he gave shows a lack of respect on his (LeBlanc) part for our program." "All along they said they were going to make the selection criteria on who could ride well for three weeks. They took five teams and didn't use that criteria," he said. "I think they should have the right to take a certain number of French teams and they did that with the first selection (in January) when they took six teams. "He (LeBlanc) said at the beginning of the year that six French teams will ride the Tour de France and now there's eight. I suppose they have the right to do that but I don't know if they can do that at the expense of better teams." Ultimately, the aspirations of the Mercury-Viatel squad, and that of Mercatone Uno and Saeco, were set aside for the benefit of French cycling. Wordin said: "The selection was all about politics, and not about the quality of the teams." Earlier this year, Leblanc discussed the new formula for team selection for Le Tour, which will also be adopted by the organizers of the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta d'Espana. There were meant to be 20 teams of 9 riders chosen in two rounds: January 2001 and May 2001, with the criteria based on "sporting and ethics." Leblanc said that "we are looking for good performances from good teams." The new team selection criteria are as follows:
This is to avoid the problems of the TDF 2000, where French teams were left at home during their national tour. Top 16 Teams (January 23, 2001) Team Deutsche
Telekom (Germany) Short, intense climber's Tour De France for 2001Paris, January 23, 2001: In announcing the 2001 Tour De France, race director Jean Marie Leblanc told his audience gathered in Le Palais De Congres that, "As the Tour De France enters a new century, it does so with a return to its roots - to Dunquerque, where in the early part of the century, the Tour often visited as a stage start or finish." That may be true, but not much else about the 2001 Tour De France is traditional or ordinary. In fact, the short distance of 3462 km and difficult, unorthodox Tour parcours may be the most testing in the last decade. As the TDF video camera panned across the concerned faces of many the top riders seated in the front row of the hall, their serious expressions showed how much suffering would be on the menu for next July's Tour. Starting in far northwest France on the English Channel coast, called the "Cote d'Opale", Dunkerque will be the site of the opening 8 km prologue. Kind of ironic, since was the site of the British WW2 panic evacuation in 1940, with prologue pro Brit, David Millar the favourite to take the first Maillot Jaune. After a weekend on the windy, hilly terrain of the coast of Le Manche, the Tour then heads into Belgium with a stage finish in Antwerp, with a few pavé sections of East Flanders on the menu. Then it's across Belgium in the only stage that's 100% outside of France with a few tasty "côtes" from Liege-Bastogne-Liege thrown in for good measure before the finish in Seraing. The parcours dives due south back to France on Stage 4 from Huy, the start city of La Fleche Wallone to Verdun through the leg-sapping climbs of the Ardennes Mountains. A spectacular, rolling, Team Time Trial stage of 67 km from Verdun-Bar-Le-Duc will provide Stage 5 and already, the '01 TDF will certainly be finding its weak sisters. Stages 6 and 7 will then traverse the Vosges Mountains to arrive at the foot of the Alpes; sleeper stages that don't look too hard on paper but both will put a major hurt on the legs of the TDF peloton, especially Stage 7 to Colmar with four Cat. 2 climbs in 162 km! Unlike the previous few years, Stage 10 from Aix-Les-Bains to L'Alpe D'Huez will be the only point-to-point stage in the Alpes. With 208 km and the ascents of the 24 km long, 2000m high Col de la Madeleine and the steep 19.9 km long, 1924m Col du Glandon before the famous 14 km, 21 hairpin turn climb up to l'Alpe D'Huez, this alpine stage will be very tough. But there will be still no rest for the peloton of Le Tour '01. The next day, Stage 11 is an uphill 32 km individual time trial from Grenoble up the steep ascent of the Chaine de Belledonne to Chamrousse; 18.7 km of climbing at 7.1% average gradient to reach the ski resort of Chamrousse. With tired legs from Stage 10, this uphill TT will be the first real moment of truth in Le Tour '01. After the TT, it's rest day number 1, with a transfer to Perpignan at the foot of the Pyrenees Mountains. Unlike the last few years, the Pyrenees will be the stage where the '01 TDF is won or lost, with three consecutive mountaintop finishes on Stages 12, 13 and 14. Stage 12 from Perpignan to Ax-Les-Thermes will conclude with an unknown final ascent to Plateau de Bonascre, 9.4 km climb at 7%; similar to the Plateau de Bielle climb where Marco Pantani won in a TDF stage in '98. 222 km Stage 13 will be the unlucky number for some riders in the '01 TDF, as it's likely to be truly the toughest test of the Tour. Six major cols with 80 km of climbing are on the menu before the mountaintop finish in Pla d'Adet. The Pyrenees end with Stage 14; a short, sharp 144 km to the 7.5%, 13.7 km ascension of Luz Ardiden via the 1498 m Col d'Aspin and 2115 m Col du Tourmalet. Next year's Tour de France offers a tough trio of terrible Pyrenees stages, with back to back to back mountaintop finishes that will separate the men from the boys and set the stage for the final week back to Paris. But when the Pyrenees are finished, Le Tour '01 offers No easy ride for the peloton to arrive back to Paris. Au contraire, the Tour heads straight back to the capital via center of France, on the tiny, twisting roads on the corrugated terrain and baking temps though le Massif Central. After a rest day in Pau and transition Stage 15, the subsequent two stages will be a major tempo test for whatever team that holds Le Maillot Jaune. Once Le Tour '01 arrives in the heart of France, the final race of truth will be Stage 18's 61 km Individual Time Trial from Montluçon to Saint-Amand-Montrond. Then there are only two stages left before the finish in Paris of a short, intense Tour de France. Prizemoney Next year's prize list has been beefed up by ASO, the Tour organizers. The total prize list will be FF16,000,000 ($US2,285,000), with the winners of the classment general's share at FF2,500,000 ($US360,000). More comments On the subject of doping, Leblanc repeated his request of the previous year, "vite messieurs, vite," to Hein Verbruggen, UCI president and Daniel Baal, French Federation boss to come up with stronger controls on doping. "My conviction is that we will eventually find the right way to solve the doping problem," said Leblanc. Perhaps this was an aside to remind the assembled elite of world cycling just who was not attending the bash for the 2001 Tour; self-declared black sheep Richard Virenque and his ex-Festina mob, who were a few hundred kilometers north in Lille, enjoying the attentions of criminal prosecutors as the Festina court case continues. With a short and difficult parcours, 12 new stage cities and a new formula for team invitations, the 2001 Tour De France promises to be intense. Lance Armstrong and his newly reinforced USPS squad will have to face the onslaught of the challenge from Olympic Champion Jan Ullrich and his Telekom team. As always, cyclingnews.com will be at Le Tour 2001, 24/7 with the best cycling content on the internet. Reactions:Jan Ullrich: "This is a Tour I like. I will do everything I can to start well prepared. My 2001 season has one big target: the Tour de France. And I like the stage with the Alpe d'Huez." Walter Godefroot (Telekom): "The Tour is short and intense. I expect the decision in the Pyrenees. But maybe some big names will already be tired before the Alps." Christophe Moreau: "I'm thinking about a top 3 place in Paris, a stage victory and I dream about the yellow jersey." Joseba Beloki: "Many mountains, many time trials. I like that." Christophe Agnulutto: "It's a pity the final stage isn't completely in Paris. It was a great happening in July." Johan Bruyneel: "This Tour isn't made specially for Lance Armstrong. It is important to have a strong team." Bjarne Riis: "The stage in the Vogeses could be very important and is a good stage for Laurent Jalabert. I am hoping for the first 10 days, including the team time trial." Bernard Hinault: "I think the mountain time trial in Chamrousse is the most important stage." Manulo Saiz: "I'm happy with the three stages in the Pyrenees. A lot of Spanish and Basque people will be there to motivate us." Vicente Belda: "It will be a harder Tour than this year. We shall not lose so much time in the team time trial. We are hoping for Botero and Sevilla in the important mountain stages."
Summary
The Stages
Total distance: 3,462 km The Major Climbs:Stage 7: Col de Kreuzweg (15
km at 3.6%) Stage 10: Col du Frêne
(2.1 km at 8.6%) Stage 11: Montée vers Chamrousse (18.7 km at 7.1 %) Stage 12: Col de Jau (22.8 km
at 5.2%). Col de Coudons (10.9 km at 5.5%) Stage 13: Col du Portet d'Aspet
(2.6 km at 8.6%) Stage 14: Col du "Haut
de la Côte" (1.5 km at 6.3%)
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