According to cyclingnews.com, Cadel is not on the T-Mobile tour team. After his recent win in the Tour of Austria (where he won a mountaintop finish) and 5th place in the Route du Sud time trial (behind guys like Brad McGee and David Millar), I would think that he'd be a shoe-in. Granted, the tour of austria is not the Dauphine, but are Guerini, Nardello and Botero really riding better than him? And bringing Rolf Aldag to lead out Zabel? Yeah, they probably had to throw Zabel a bone to keep him happy, and Aldag is an experienced domestique. Still, this seems like a bonehead move.

So no Vino, no Savoldelli, no Evans, and Botero isn't looking all that great. T-Mobile's superteam is not looking super any more. One positive is that they won't have to worry about Lance's criticism of having too many leaders and not enough workers.

Opinions?

Apart from the obvious presence of Tour de Suisse winner Jan Ullrich, according to HLN the team will contain Tour of Austria winner Cadel Evans, Giuseppe Guerini, Andreas Klöden, Matthias Kessler and Daniele Nardello to help Ullrich in the mountains. Santiago Botero will be employed as an all round helper, with the team time trial foremost in mind, while sprinter Erik Zabel will have Rolf Aldag as a lead out man.

TF

Apart from the obvious presence of Tour de Suisse winner Jan Ullrich, according to HLN the team will contain Tour of Austria winner Cadel Evans, Giuseppe Guerini, Andreas Klöden, Matthias Kessler and Daniele Nardello to help Ullrich in the mountains. Santiago Botero will be employed as an all round helper, with the team time trial foremost in mind, while sprinter Erik Zabel will have Rolf Aldag as a lead out man.

TF

Yeah but there has apparently been a revision and Evans is replaced by Botero, which seems odd to me. Evans is now "1st reserve". Sounds like they're thinking about Botero for what he gives for the TTT, and probably going to rely on Guerini and Kloden as the main mountain domestiques. Both of whom are riding really well, but not at the level of Evans.

In an interview a year or so ago, Alberto Elli mentioned Cadel had a reputation for being difficult/unpleasant. That may not go with the "all for Ulrich and Zabel" strategy TMobile is opting for now Vino is injured. Just a thought, no evidence to back it.

Its not really a surprised. Although he has had some OK results, the impression I got was that he really wasn't in the shape or form that is needed for the TdF.

Its perhaps a shame I don't know - but the T-Mobile team doesn't seem as exciting to me as it did earlier when the likes of Vino was still in the game.

I hope Jan still gets through, I hope his team can get up in the GC and bring Jan through for a win.