News Article -- June 27, 2005
Roberts Earns Final Tour Spot
Roberts is racing full-time on the road this season for the first time in his career.
In what was admittedly a difficult decision, team manager Bjarne Riis told a disappointed Piil after Sunday's Danish national championships he wouldn't be going to Saturday's start of the 2005 Tour.
Piil's dissatisfaction is good news for Roberts, of course. An Olympic gold medalist and three-time track racing world champion in the team pursuit, Roberts is racing full-time on the road this season for the first time in his career.
The 28-year-old Australian has posted solid results this season in more than 40 days of racing, but wasn't assured of a spot until Sunday evening.
"My training and focus lately has been on one thing: to be ready for the Tour de France," Roberts said in his diary entry Monday. "Without actually being guaranteed a start on the team, it meant I had to prepare 100 percent and then wait on the decision from Bjarne. Sunday night the phone call came and I'd prepared myself for disappointment. Then he told me, 'I'm just calling you to let you know you'll be joining the team at the Tour.' I must have been the happiest man on the planet right then."
Riis said he chose Roberts for the good of the team, which enters the Tour with high ambitions of putting Ivan Basso in position to win.
"It has been a very tough decision, but it's my responsibility that we have the absolute strongest team possible for Tour de France," Riis said. "I fully understand {Piil's} disappointment, but he hasn't yet convinced us that it would be the right decision to include him on the team."
Piil has had bad luck since injuring his knee in last year's Tour. The blonde-haired Dane was one of the 2004 Tour's most impressive riders, always on the attack in the first week and riding with trademark aggression.
After a long rest, Piil trained hard during the fall to come into this spring stronger than ever, but another series of crashes and illnesses set him back yet again.
He was left off the Giro d'Italia team, but was expected to earn a spot for the Tour, where he won a stage in 2003.
Piil was hoping a big victory in Sunday's Danish national championship would earn him his Tour ticket, but he crashed again and could only watch as teammate Lars Bak took the national jersey.
"Jakob didn't get a chance to show that he has what it takes to be on that team this year," Riis said. "He was even unlucky enough to crash, which of course didn't make it any easier for him. Luke has delivered a really good performance so far, and I'm sure he'll be a valuable reinforcement to the Tour team."
Team CSC for Tour de France: Ivan Basso (Italy), Carlos Sastre (Spain), Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Norway), Nicki Sorensen (Denmark), Dave Zabriskie (USA), Bobby Julich (USA), Jens Voigt (Germany), Luke Roberts (Australia) and Giovanni Lombardi (Italy)