With the possibility of three ProTour slots open, Team Slipstream seems to be making a strong case for inclusion as early as next year. We really don’t know how many teams will get licenses and how many licenses will be recognized by the Grand Tours in 2008. This lineup however should attract the attention of all interested parties.
David Zabriskie, Christian Vande Velde, Tom Danielson, Magnus Backstedt, David Millar, Daniel Martin, Julian Dean, Chrisophe Laurent, Huub Duyn and Martin Maaska.
Officially, the team has targeted 2009 for application. But sometimes timing chooses you. With Discovery Channel gone, there is the all important spot of American ProTour team that is up for grabs. While the UCI and Grand Tours disagree on almost everything, their love of money should unite them in support of US TV dollar.
After all, if you are going to fight over money, you want that pot as big as possible.
As much as I would love to see professional cycling maintain a US connection – Jonathan Vaughters has indicated in interviews that they are just not ready to afford all of the racing/traveling to support a full ProTour schedule. As with most things, it boils down to money and I would hate to see Slipstream suffer the burden of next year’s schedule when they don’t have the full backing and infrastructure to support it. Better to wait and be ready than burn out/fade away.
Jeremy,
I’ve read the same things as you. The only comment is sometimes you don’t get to pick your timing. It has always seemed that the ProTour wants an American team but not two. Given his new roster of talent, it may be better to take the slot now and grow in the role.