Boulder, CO – March 20, 2008 – Team Slipstream-Chipotle Presented by H30, a professional American cycling team dedicated to promoting ethical sporting and developing the next generation of cycling champions, announced that it has been invited to ride in the Tour de France.

“We are so proud to receive the invitation to the Tour. This is an accomplishment for the team, and a huge step for American cycling,” said Doug Ellis, team owner and Chairman of Slipstream Sports. “We’ve had a strong 2008 season so far, and this invitation solidifies our position among the best teams in the world.”

The 2008 team, led by five national champions, two Tour de France Yellow Jersey wearers, a Tour de France polka-dot jersey wearer, one former World Champion, and a previous winner of Paris-Roubaix., features 14 Americans, making it the most U.S.-centric team in the Peloton.

“Bringing an American team to the Tour de France has been our vision since we started five years ago. We - the riders, the staff, even our fans - have worked incredibly hard for this,” said Jonathan Vaughters, Director Sportiff of the team and CEO of Slipstream Sports. “It is a dream come true.”

Among those expected to race for the team are Magnus Backstedt, Tom Danielson, Julian Dean, Tyler Farrar, Will Frischkorn, Ryder Hesjedal, Christophe Laurent, Martijn Maaskant, David Millar, Danny Pate, Christian Vande Velde and David Zabriskie.

About Slipstream Sports
Founded in 2003, Slipstream Sports LLC is a highly progressive sports management company dedicated solely to promoting the ethical growth of American cycling.

About Team Slipstream-Chipotle Presented by H30
Team Slipstream-Chipotle presented by H3O is a professional American cycling team dedicated to promoting ethical sporting and developing the next generation of cycling champions. The team’s riders come from all over the world to achieve one common goal: ride clean and ride hard.

In 2007, Team Slipstream-Chipotle presented by H30 partnered with Agency for Cycling Ethics (ACE), to create the most progressive anti-doping system in the professional sports world. Each of the team’s 25 riders will undergo combined voluntary testing at least 700 times throughout the 2008 season, 20 times the number of tests that most professional cyclists are subject to annually.

The 2008 team is led by five national champions, two Tour de France Yellow Jersey wearers, a Tour de France polka-dot jersey wearer, one former World Champion, and a previous winner of Paris-Roubaix.

Additional information is available at www.slipstreamsports.com.

Bicycling.com writer James Startt spent the last couple of days of Paris-Nice with Slipstream/Chipotle. Read about the trials and tribulations as the team battled bad luck and worse weather.

Said team director Weltz: “You know in bike racing you have to constantly reassess your situation. In situations like this, first you just have to survive and then you can look to other stages, other races.”

A parade stage today ended up with a crazy circuit finale when a bit of rain turned the streets to glass. The first 110 km was a cruise for everyone, an hour of no pressure pedaling.

Eventually CSC set up shop, slowly bringing the speed up to a reasonable clip, and took us back down to the finish circuits on the coast. The speed slowly escalated and each 10 km lap was a bit faster.

Then all of a sudden it started to sprinkle. Roads that hadn’t seen water in quite some time glazed over. We rounded a gradual bend to suddenly see 40 guys on the ground.

With the pace already quick and the sprinters’ teams on the front, the race split to pieces behind the crash. Those ahead fought out one last sprint finish. We all kept it upright with Ryder in the lead split and him managing to move up two spots on GC!

We couldn’t ask for much more. Now for a few days of rest.

- Will

Slipstream stage 7 results
1. Francesco Chicchi 4:50′50″

12. Christopher Sutton
31. Ryder Hesjedal
44. Martijn Maaskant
67. Julian Dean
98. Will Frischkorn
102. Magnus Backstedt
139. Timmy Duggan
DNF David Zabriskie

Slipstream final GC after stage 7
1. Fabian Cancellara 28:08′21″

8. Ryder Hesjedal +01′53″
70. Timmy Duggan +23′48″
111. William Frischkorn +33′55″
118. Julian Dean +37′28″
120. Martijn Maaskant +39′05″
121. Chris Sutton +40′27″
147. Magnus Backstedt +1:08′56″

With Paris-Nice and Tirreno behind them, the Slipstream/Chipotle riders are rested and ready to continue their European invasion. Follow your Argyle Heroes as they hit it hard in Italy, Spain and France.

It will be an Argyle Easter weekend with Milano-Sanremo this Saturday, March 22. Nearly 300 km long, “la classica di primavera” is the longest of all professional one-day races.

A younger crew will head to Spain for the 5-day Vuelta a Castilla y Leon that starts Monday, March 24. In its 23rd year, this shorter, more intense stage race attracts a strong field that will include Rabobank, Euskatel and Saunier Duval.

Then the boys round out March with the 77th running of the two-day, three-stage Criterium International. Taking place in the Ardennes region of France, this weekend of hard racing includes a long, flat stage, an intense, short climbing stage, and a final time trial.

Today’s penultimate stage here in Italy started out flat schstick (translation: “full gas”), straight into a headwind, with constant shuffles for 30 km before a break finally rolled. After missing the move two days prior, we were all pretty motivated to be in the action today. And I was the lucky one to be in the right split.

Our band of 13 worked well together, taking the gap up to almost 6 minutes. With 50 km to go on some tough finish circuits, we were all thinking that there was a good shot that the day’s winner would come from our crew. But there were other plans behind.

After 165 km out front, we were reeled in with 1 km to go, just near the top of a 4 km stair-stepper with the finish at the top. A select little group came from behind and Ryder was right where he needed to be. He finished in the front group and moved up to 10th on GC going into what should be a battle for the sprinters tomorrow.

We’ve been blessed with amazing weather all week long. But alas, it looks like there’s a chance it might be “France-ing” on us tomorrow. Fingers crossed for one more day of sun…

-Will

Slipstream stage 6 results
1. Oscar Freire 4:46′44″

14. Ryder Hesjedal
80. Will Frischkorn
86. Julian Dean
133. David Zabriskie
141. Martijn Maaskant
144. Chris Sutton
159. Timmy Duggan
161. Magnus Backstedt

Slipstream GC after stage 7
1. Fabian Cancellara 23:17′31″

10. Ryder Hesjedal +01′53″
56. Timmy Duggan +18′44″
107. David Zabriskie +28′30″
121. William Frischkorn +32′21″
126. Julian Dean +35′54″
134. Martijn Maaskant +39′05″
136. Chris Sutton +40′27″
162. Magnus Backstedt +1:07′22″

As one of the early starters for today’s time trial, David Zabriskie held the stage lead for nearly two hours - until time trial world champion Fabian Cancellara hit the final finish line taking 22 seconds out of Z’s time.

Ryder Hesjedal also put in a strong performance today and was the second best Slipstream/Chipotle finisher. He finished just inside the top 20 and moving up to 11th overall. Two stages to remain for Ryder to move into the top ten overall, with only 3″ separating him and eighth place.

Slipstream stage 5 results
1. Fabian Cancellara 33′41″

2. David Zabriskie +00′22″
19. Ryder Hesjedal +01′42″
50. Timmy Duggan +03′00″
87. Magnus Backstedt +03′58″
92. Will Frischkorn +04′02″
110. Martijn Maaskant +04′18″
145. Julian Dean +05′32″
149. Chris Sutton +04′40″

Slipstream GC after stage 5
1. Fabian Cancellara 18:30′47″

11. Ryder Hesjedal +01′53″
30. Timmy Duggan +04′46″
79. David Zabriskie +21′39″
123. Chris Sutton +28′45″
129. William Frischkorn +30′13″
130. Martijn Maaskant +30′28″
137. Julian Dean +33′13″
163. Magnus Backstedt +53′24″

So, obviously, Paris-Nice did not go so great for us. But I gotta say, what a great race! It had everything I love about cycling. Changing leaders, unpredictability, suffering. It was completely non-mechanical and could have been won or lost all the way to the last 20 meters of the race.

In the end, a top young talent (Gesink) was out manauvered by some veterans. It could have gone any number of ways. None of which would make me scratch my head and think, “This is a bit boring.”

Unpredictable racing is really encouraging to see. It’s a sign that younger riders have a lot to look forward to in their careers, as opposed to dread. Fans too have got to love this type of racing. It reminds me of the ‘87 Tour when the race lead changed who knows how many times. Guys blew up one day, but attacked the next. Really great stuff - and really human.

Any how, for those of you that have been discouraged by cycling the last few years, I really think things are changing. I really believe Paris-Nice was real, gritty, human racing from stem to stern. I hope the Tour will be the same this year too. I really do.

JV

In the game to the very end, the Argyle Armada lit up the hills around nice for today’s final stage of Paris-Nice. Trent Lowe (right), Danny Pate (below) and Tom Peterson were involved in escapes and breaks today, flying the blue and orange at the front for all it was worth.

Said DS Johnny Weltz: “After a week where things just didn’t go in our favor, the riders showed they are still ready to go for the win. Tom, Danny and Trent attacked and went with a group of about 35. They stayed away all day
and were only caught by a smaller group with 1 km to go.”

Slipstream stage 7 results
1. Luis-Leon Sanchez 2:51′12″

28. Trent Lowe +00′05″
39. Danny Pate +00′36″
71. Christophe Laurent +15′08″
72. Christian Vande Velde +15′08″
84. Lucas Euser +15′08″
DNF Tom Peterson

Slipstream GC after stage 7
1. Davide Rebellin 29:02′48″

20. Trent Lowe +13′53″
56. Christian Vande Velde +52′16″
75. Danny Pate +53′33″
71. Christophe Laurent +1:05′12″
110. Lucas Euser +1:34′22″