Our man in Australia, Rupert Guinness, reported in Wednesday’s edition of The Daily Telegraph that Stuart O’Grady will refuse to ride in support of Aussie team captain Robbie McEwen in the upcoming world championships. In an exclusive interview with Guinness, O’Grady said the rift between McEwen and longtime rival O’Grady is too wide to erase in time for the Madrid world title race, one ideally suited for McEwen’s brash style. The pair’s head-butting incident at the end of the third stage of the 2005 Tour de France - when McEwen was relegated for dangerous sprinting which scuttled his chances for the green jersey – was the final straw for O’Grady.

“The Tour de France was the cherry on the cake,” O’Grady told Guinness. “One day, he is trying to knock you off, then a couple of months later he wants you to help him out in his race of the year. I am not prepared to do that. I helped him out at the Olympics. The whole team was there for him at Zolder [world titles in 2002 where McEwen won the silver medal]. But enough is enough.”

O’Grady is expected to be named Friday on the short-list of 16 riders and team officials are hopeful he will change his mind, but O’Grady said the recent spat during the Tour strained the relationship beyond repair. “There comes a time when you have to have respect for your teammates,” O’Grady said. “I respect Robbie as a bike rider. I respect everything he has done as a bike rider -- but I don't respect his character. There have been a lot of things in the past that have happened. And basically I am sick of it.” Aussie national coach Shayne Bannan is cautiously optimistic the pair can repair the troubles in time for the worlds, but he remains committed to building a team around McEwen. “He is the best sprinter for the job and he is the one they have to take. I understand that,” O’Grady said. “But from a personal view, it basically comes down to pride and respect; two things I haven’t got for Robbie.” No Vuelta for O’Grady
Stuart O’Grady will also be missing the upcoming Vuelta a España, but for other reasons. The Aussie is suffering from tendonitis in left thigh, preventing him from racing in the three-week Spanish tour. Taking his place is Hervé Duclos-Lasalle, the son of two-time Paris-Roubaix champ Gilbert Duclos-Lasalle. French sprinter Jimmy Casper will take over in the flats while Luis Pérez and Daniel Atienza will fight for the GC. Cofidis for Vuelta a España
Luis Pérez
Bingen Fernández
Daniel Atienza
Jimmy Casper
Leonardo Bertognolli
Arnaud Coyot
Christophe Edalene
Staf Scheirlinckx
Hervé Duclos-Lasalle
Zabel leads in last hurrah
Erik Zabel headlines T-Mobile in what will be his final grand tour with the team he’s called home for 13 years as a professional. Zabel, 35, is set to leave the German team at the end of the season. Rumors dating back a month have the German sprinter heading to Domina Vacanze to ride alongside archrival Alessandro Petacchi. At the Vuelta, the two will still ride head-to-head. Joining Zabel will be Rolf Aldag (retiring at the end of the season), Andre Korff, Daniele Nardello, neo-pros Marcus Burghardt and Bernhard Kohl. Spanish riders Oscar Sevilla and Paco Lara will try their hand in the overall. T-Mobile for Vuelta a España
Rolf Aldag
Marcus Burghardt
Andreas Klier
André Korff
Bernhard Kohl
Daniele Nardello
Paco Lara
Oscar Sevilla
Erik Zabel