Reports emanating from one of the riders in the professional DFL cycling team reveal that decisions made by the UK based squad's management have made a number of the team review their racing plans for 2005.
Micheal Shearer, Travis Allen, Jai Crawford and Luke Bettany have reportedly had their contracts cancelled at the weekend. Bikes and team vehicles were collected from the team's Belgium base on Sunday. Former world silver track medalist Tony Gibb has decided to leave the team and has been released from his contract as he requested.
Team owner and sponsor Nick Collins commented on events from the weekend: "We lost a team vehicle at the weekend after it was taken by two riders without our permission. I have been told that it has crossed the channel and is somewhere in Calais and as a consequence two riders were sacked, but Jai Crawford and Luke Bettany have left the team on their own accord. There are a number of CV's in my possession that I will be looking at shortly, but I still have the minimum number of team riders needed for the UCI regulations and I am not going to make a knee-jerk reaction to what's happened. I have already had a number of phone calls from riders offering me their support. We have reported the 25,000 euro vehicle as stolen to the police."
Courtesy of Gerry McManus
