Team Choices for TdF?

preslopsky · 07-16-2007, 03:41 PM

I know a little about how the teams for the TdF are picked. I know it is by invitation, and I think performance is a factor. I heard Barloworld was a "wild card" this year. My question is: How does Euskaltel-Euskadi show up in the tour every year? Year after year they have been getting worse in the TdF (was it last year that each rider on the team walked away with just $1000 euro in prizes for their troubles?). Are they really great in other races and therefore make the cut, or are there politics involved?

Maybe they seem bad to me because they never really lived up to their potential with Iban Mayo (and there was no end to the talk about how great they were).

Jon · 07-16-2007, 03:41 PM

All the teams that are in the UCI go to the Tour de France (except unibet.com this year because of the betting sponsor). Two teams that aren't are invited every year. This year they are Barloworld and Agritubel, so that is where the wild-card term comes from. So as long as Euslaltel-Euskadi remains a pro team in the UCI, they will be in the Tour.