Triumphs And Tears For Slipstream In Qatar

Team Slipstream started their season with the ASO sponsored (the same company that hosts the Tour de France) Tour of Qatar. An early season race, Qatar was seen as a first step in establishing the Slipstream squad as a potential Tour de France wild card team. In bringing British national champion David Miller, New Zealand national champ and designated team sprinter Julian Dean, young up-and-coming Frenchman Christophe Laurent and Classics strongman Magnus Backstedt to Saudi Arabia, Jonathan Vaughters hoped that his young team would build form, contend for stages, and show strong team unity.

Vaughter's master plan is to race his best riders early and often in 2008 in hopes of securing a wild card invite to the Tour de France

And as the race wore on, things were looking good. Slipstream took second in the opening time trial and rode confidently in stages two, three, and four, keeping young Christopher Sutton in the hunt for the best young rider white jersey.

Christopher Sutton at the NSW Institute of Sport team launch in 2002. He cut his teeth in the European peloton at the ripe old age of 18.

Unfortunately, stage five would bring misfortune to the Slipstream train. Backstedt, accelerating for Dean, who would eventually lead out Sutton, clipped wheels with a Quick Step rider in the final 500 meters. Backstedt went down hard, breaking his clavicle, while Dean and Sutton suffered buises and lacerations. Backstedt is optomistic that he'll be ready in time for Roubaix, but injuries heal on their own time.

Despite a broken collar bone suffered in stage 4 of the Tour of Qatar, "Maggy" is confident that he'll be on he start line in Paris-Roubaix in April

Now, the pressure mounts for Slipstream. With Backstedt out for the Tour of California and Sutton and Dean dinged up, the pressure will be on David Miller, David Zabriskie and Christian Vande Velde to rise to the occasion for the team. Both Miller and Zabriskie are excellent time trialists while Vande Velde hasn't had the chance to ride for himself. A capable climber and faithful domestique to Ivan Basso, Lance Armstrong and Carlos Sastre, Vande Velde could surprise the field in California, setting up either Zabriskie or Miller (whomever is climbing better) for the GC win.

Former CSC teammates Vande Velde (left) and Zabriskie (right) will be expected to carry team Slipstream at the Tour of California in February

Overall, the Tour of Qatar would have been ruled an obvious success had the stage five crash not happened. But it did, and the Slipstram team finds itself, at least for the short term, without one of its most spirited leaders. Backstedt will most certainly bounce back, but in the meantime, younger riders like Danny Pate and Steven Cozza will have to step up. When all is said and done, this may end up being the best thing that could have happened to the young Slipstream squad. Take one of the veterans away for a big time race (California) and see how the young charges fare. Ready or not, the time is now for Slipstream to grow up if they're to be on the start line in Brest for the Tour de France in July.

Young riders like Steven Cozza and Danny Pate will need to step up for Slipstream at the Tour of California