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Tour de France Rubber-Stamps 20-Team Invitations

By editor on March 17th, 2009

PARIS, March 17, 2009 (AFP) – Tour de France chiefs on Tuesday rubber-stamped their previously announced list of teams for this year’s race, where seven-time winner Lance Armstrong will continue his comeback to the sport.

Twenty teams of nine riders each will take part in the three-week epic, which begins with an individual time trial in Monaco on July 4 and finishes in Paris on July 25.

While all elite level teams keep their place three invites to second division (Continental Pro) outfits assure that Carlos Sastre of Spain, the 2008 winner, gets the chance to defend his yellow jersey.

Sastre’s Swiss-registered Cervelo Test Team is one of three Continential Pro teams invited alongside French outfit Agritubel and Dutch team Skil.

Agritubel have competed in several previous editions, winning the odd stage along the way. Skil will be making their Tour de France debut in 2009.

The other significant team ousted from this year’s race was Fuji. Formerly known as Saunier Duval, Mauro Gianetti’s outfit were rejected on ethical grounds following the doping scandals at last year’s race which involved, among others, former Saunier Duval riders Riccardo Ricco and Leonardo Piepoli.

France: AG2R, Agritubel (Continental Pro), Bouygues Telecom, Cofidis, Francaise des Jeux
Belgium: Quick Step, Silence
Spain: Caisse d’Epargne, Euskaltel
United States: Columbia, Garmin
Italy: Lampre, Liquigas
Netherlands: Rabobank, Skil (Continental Pro)
Germany: Milram
Denmark: Saxo Bank
Kazakhstan: Astana
Russia: Katusha
Switzerland: Cervelo (Continental Pro)