No Tour for Valjavec and Elmiger

AG2R La Mondiale's Tadej Valjavec and martin Elmiger will not participate in the Tour de France this year, even though both riders have the potential to win stages for their team at the Grande Boucle. They will stay at home, albeit for different reasons.

"Valjavec [who finished tenth overall at the 2008 Tour - ed.] has had a baby one week before the Giro, where he achieved the objective to place within the top ten [he was ninth - ed.]," explained the team's manager Vincent Lavenu to L'Equipe. "He will do the Vuelta.

"As to Elmiger, the World Championship in Switzerland is a big goal to him [Elmiger is Swiss - ed.]. He will prepare for it at the Vuelta."

Moreover, Elmiger may have a physical problem: his iliac artery is starting to be blocked. "He either has surgery now, or after the Worlds. It may be after," said Lavenu.