News Item of the Day: At last Sunday's press conference, CSC team manager Bjarne Riis wasn't easy to get to talk about the roster for next year's Tour de France. But to the Danish newspaper Politiken, he revealed that there is currently a roster of 11 riders who will be battling for the nine spots: Ivan Basso, Carlos Sastre, Jens Voigt, Stuart O'Grady, Kurt-Asle Arvesen, Fränk Schleck, Fabian Cancellara, Jakob Piil, Bobby Julich, Giovanni Lombardi and David Zabriskie.

That doesn't look like a team that can lend much support in the mountains. Sastre yes, Voight sometimes, Julich sometimes, Schleck not sure. I dont think anyone else there is considered good in the mountains. I'd have to look at last years team. I can't remember Basso having much help in the mountains this year either but then he could sit on the Disco train whereas, this year, everyone expects a more wide open race.

News Item of the Day #2: With the three Grand Tours pulling out of the ProTour is it even worth having the ProTour? Losing just the Tours would be one thing but the ProTour is also losing the other races organized by the Tours. Namely, Paris Nice, Tirreno-Adriatico, Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix, Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Paris-Tours and the Tour of Lombardy. There are few good races in that list. Basically the whole Spring Classics season with the exception of Flanders. What a mess.