David Saltzberg
Boo, hiss!
-----Original Message-----
From: obra-bounces@list.obra.org [mailto:obra-bounces@list.obra.org] On
Behalf Of Candi Murray
Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 8:45 AM
To: obra@list.obra.org
Subject: [OBRA Chat] Horner left off of Astana roster for the TdF
Horner left off Astana Tour roster
By Andrew Hood
Published: Jun. 25, 2009
Chris Horner wont be starting the Tour de France after he was overlooked as
part of the nine-man squad revealed Wednesday by Astana.
The veteran Horner crashed out of the Giro dItalia in May and was hoping to
be back in top shape to earn a Tour slot, but he was not awarded one of the
nine spots on the loaded Astana team.
Another surprise name missing from roster was reliable Spanish workhorse
Benjamin Noval, a veteran of Tour-winning campaigns of Lance Armstrong and
Alberto Contador.
The team revealed last week that six of the nine spots were already secured,
with Armstrong and Contador being joined by Andreas Klöden, Levi Leipheimer,
Haimar Zubeldia and Yaroslav Popovych.
That left six riders fighting for three remaining spots on the heavily
favored Astana.
Filling out the final three spots are Sergio Paulinho, Gregory Rast and
Kazakh rider Dmitriy Muravyev, three riders who will bear the brunt of the
work on the flats and transition stages before the big guns take over.
Two other riders who were on Astanas shortlist but didnt make the cut were
Jani Brajkovic and Tomas Vaitkus.
The rest of the team doesnt need much of an introduction.
All eyes will be on a possible duel between Armstrong and Contador as the
pair wrangles for control of the race and perhaps the team, though everyone
insists that the squad will rally around the strongest rider in the race.
Armstrong, 37, is returning to the Tour for the first time since winning the
last of his seven consecutive yellow jerseys in 2005.
Riding to a solid 12th at the Giro dItalia in his first grand tour in
nearly four years, Armstrong is expected to be a major factor in the race,
but even he admits hes not sure how far he will be able to go.
Contador is back at the Tour for the first time since winning in 2007.
Astana was kept out of last years Tour, opening the door for the Spanish
climber to win both the Giro and the Vuelta a España last year to complete
cyclings grand tour triple crown.
Just behind them will be Leipheimer and Kloden, two former podium finishers
who be waiting in the wings if the top two leaders tumble and who will
likely get their own chances in the time trials and perhaps a shot in the
mountains to force other teams to chase.
Zubeldia and Popovych will play similar roles, with the expectation they
will step up in the key mountain
Candi
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