Tour Team Announced!

Well, don't get too carried away with relief, it's only what they are calling the "long list", of those from whom the actual team will be selected.

The names on this Long List are:



That's 14, and of course just 9 will be sent, which gives them a bit of flexibility to check on form, injury, behaviour etc.in the next few weeks.

I am sure that we are all really, really relieved to see that Mr Bruyneel has included both Andy and Frankie in the pre-selection: can you imagine the uproar if he didn't? He's already being criticised (*sniggers quietly in the background*) (oh, I'm so childish at times) for not including Chris Horner, a stalwart Shack rider, on the grounds that he's been suffering from a back injury, so I can imagine how much he would be criticised for leaving out the Schlecks.

So far, Fabian is the only one with a guaranteed place, so that leaves 8 places for 13 of them.

It will be interesting to see, over the next few weeks, who is dropped and who is confirmed: and clearly all Schlecklanders are expected to cross their fingers for the Leopards in the selection - not that we are biased oh no! (chorus of "Oh, Yes, We, Are!" from the crew of the SS Schleckland.)

Meanwhile the Tour de Suisse continues: I missed the beginning of it, as I was away on a course this weekend, and only had a short time on Sunday night to see LLB and catch up with some of the footage. I'm looking forward to eventually seeing yesterday's footage - Monday - as the peloton was apparently caught by a level crossing, when the barriers came down after the breakaway, but before the main peloton arrived. I am sooo looking forward to seeing that: do they line up neatly? Do they sneak up the sides to try to get at the front ready for when the barriers rise? Do any of them try sneaking around the barriers? And, for that matter, when the barriers came down, how far away were they? Did anyone try a dangerous weave around the barriers, or did the commissaire's car block them from doing so?

The news report said that Orica GreenEdge and Movistar "managed to get most of their riders through before the barriers came down"-  which gives me a mental picture of the DS standing at the side of the crossing frantically waving them on like a school crossing patrol - but the commissaire's car made them stop and wait for the rest of the peloton.  Can't wait to see that!  And of course Frankie is still sitting in second place by 8 seconds, so Yay! Frankie!

Steephill TV say that the stage today has one big climb, a final circuit with some hills in it, and the finish is flat, but quite technical, and as there's a 90% chance of rain, it could be an interesting finish.