Zabriskie leaving Team CSC for Slipstream Sports squad
Salt Lake pro cyclist will join anti-doping American squad
The Salt Lake City cyclist appears to have addressed both of those professional concerns by agreeing to a two-year contract with Slipstream Sports. He'll join his new team after the conclusion of the current racing season.
"Some people are trying to tell me it's a step down," Zabriskie, who has returned to Salt Lake City to rehab an injured left knee, told the Deseret Morning News on Tuesday. "But I think it's a step in the right direction."
The Team CSC cyclist is one of three big-name cyclists signed by Slipstream since the Tour de France wrapped up last weekend. He's joined by CSC teammate and fellow American Christian Vande Velde and England's David Millar of the Saunier Duval team.
Slipstream is a new America-based team founded on the principle of racing with proven, clean athletes. Based in Colorado, the team with the funky, eye-catching argyle uniforms has sent groups of riders to many of the biggest races in the world but has focused primarily on a domestic calendar of events while trying to build its reputation.
"The Tour wants a good image," Zabriskie said. "They need to reinvent their image as much as some of the cyclists do. I think a team like Slipstream is exactly what the Tour de France needs."
According to the team's Web site, Slipstream is the most aggressive anti-doping cycling team on the road with frequent tests by an independent lab.
"All 23 of Slipstream/Chipotle's athletes are voluntarily participating in the program, which will test the athletes more than 1,200 times during 2007," the team states. "This is more than 20 times the number of tests that most professional cyclists are subject to annually through its governing body, Union Cycliste International."
"The testing program will be comprised of both blood and urine sampling and will focus on 'bio-markers' as opposed to traditional, direct element testing. This type of testing looks for potentially illegal performance enhancing metabolic variances in the riders' test results, as opposed (to) trying to find specific substances. By adopting this innovative testing regimen, Slipstream Sports' intention is to simply prevent any rider who could be doping from competing."
Riding with the powerful CSC squad for the past three years, Zabriskie has had a good deal of success. His strength has always been as a time trial specialist, but he showed remarkable improvement as a climber and placed fifth overall in this year's Dauphine Libere, just 2:15 behind the leader in the eight-day race.
Comments
- Nurse to stand try for attempted murder 6:44 p.m.
- Huntsman officially nominated 6:43 p.m.
- Taylorsville credit union robbed 6:22 p.m.
- Bikers ride to help disabled 6:18 p.m.
- Jackson memorial performers 5:32 p.m.
- 'Idol' judge DioGuardi gets married 5:29 p.m.
- 'Three's Company' actress gets DUI 5:28 p.m.
- Willis aims to rebuild Idaho lodge 5:26 p.m.
- Utah Co. commuter line progresses 5:25 p.m.
- Student sentenced in alcohol death 5:13 p.m.
- Plans stir up debate about lake
- Jazz draftees make debut
- Teachers struggle with district cuts
- Stadium of Fire lights up the 4th
- Millsap not franchise player
- Jazz talked Kirilenko for McGrady
- A.F. criticizes HAFB
- Beck making most of time off
- Hatch: BCS too arrogant to change
- Different sides of Steve McNair
- Don't listen to marriage cynics
126 - Palin resigning as governor
112 - Lack of Obama photos concerning
107 - Palin's and Romney's roles in 2012?
103 - Letters: Palin mistreated
101 - Teachers struggle with district cuts
96 - Jazz talked Kirilenko for McGrady
94 - 'Tea party' protesters unhappy
87 - Jazz plan to re-sign Millsap
82 - Y. gets verbal from cornerback
82
I just got off the phone with Utah's senior senator Orrin Hatch who will...
RSL striker Yura Movsisyan is reportedly on his way to Denmark to join...
Tim Buckley's July 4 story saying the Jazz talked with Houston about an...
Yeah it a lot better to give some crazy marxist/communist nut with a MESSIAH...
If anyone says its a halfway house, I'll scream.
There is more than one Can of spammed HAM on this blog. I'm for Palin, and...
Irony so thick...
What happened to Luis Miguel Escalada?
What does the 10th admendment say? Your ignorance is showing.
That is one way to get rid of Chaffetz. Good riddance, I say.
I remember when the GSL ran along I-5. Legacy Highway today would have been...
As a support ridder you usually are infront of the team leader working for...
Star Wars:The Original Trilogy would rock in 3D! It is cool to see great...



You can be the first to comment on this story.