Astana's Levi Leipheimer won't be the only pro US cyclist watching the Tour de France on TV. Team CSC-Saxo Bank announced its 2008 Tour de France roster, and it didn't include Bobby Julich, left.
Julich, 36, has always been one of my favorite cyclists as an unsung hero of the peloton who occasionally gets the opportunity to show his abilities.
Always a member of European-based teams for the past decade, his highlight might have been the 3rd-place finish in the Tour de France in 1998. At the time, it was the highest finish for an American in the Tour, exceeded only by Greg Lemond's three championships. In fact, he was considered the next great hope for the US, as Lance Armstrong was recovering from cancer treatment at the time.
Other Julich highlights include his Olympic bronze medal in the individual time trial in 2004, or his Paris-Nice championship in 2005.
You can see he had major accomplishments over a long period of his career.
Julich last competed in the Tour de France in 2006, when he was named leader of Team CSC for the race. Sitting just 45 second behind Tour leader Tom Boonen early in the race, Julich wiped out on a turn in the individual time trial and abandoned the Tour with a broken wrist.
He was left Team CSC's Tour de France squad in 2007. Julich's contract expires at the end of the year.
Earlier this year, Julich told VeloNews:
“I’ve had a love-hate relationship with the Tour. There are still some goals in my little book that I haven’t put a check next to yet. One of those is winning a stage or wearing the yellow jersey in the Tour. … It’s a difficult season for me because I’m one of the older guys now. These young guys are getting good really fast.”
Going to the Tour for Team CSC:
Fabian Cancellara (Swi)
Carlos Sastre (Spa)
Andy Schleck (Lux)
Fränk Schleck (Lux)
Nicki Sørensen (Den)
Jens Voigt (Ger)
Stuart O’Grady (Aus)
Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor)
Volodymir Gustov (Ukr)
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