March 17/09 20:43 pm - Tour de France Announces 2009 Team List

Posted by Editor on 03/17/09
 

The ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation), organizers of the Tour de France, announced today the list of 20 teams who will be invited to participate in this year's event. 18 of the 19 ProTour teams will receive an invite, with only Fuji-Servetto left out. The 'shunning' of Fuji-Servetto is not a surprise - last year the team was Saunier Duval, the team of disgraced Italian riders Riccardo Riccò and Leonardo Piepoli, who both tested positive for the newest version of EPO - CERA. In addition to the ProTour teams, Professional Continental teams Cervélo Test Team, Skil-Shimano and Agritubel have received invites. Cervélo Test Team is the team of defending champion Carlos Sastrer.

The full list of teams is (bolded teams have Canadian riders):

AG2R La Mondiale
Agritubel
Astana
Bbox Bouygues Telecom
Caisse d'Epargne
Cervélo Test Team
Cofidis
Columbia-Highroad
Euskaltel-Euskadi
Française des Jeux
Garmin-Slipstream
Katusha
Lampre-NGC
Liquigas
Milram
Quick Step
Rabobank
Saxo Bank
Silence-Lotto
Skil-Shimano