Tinkov happy with team's invite

Tinkoff Credit Systems president Oleg Tinkov voiced his opinion on being selected for the 2007 Giro d'Italia. A race where the team will field American Tyler Hamilton, who has made a return to cycling after two years away due to a doping suspension. "I am very happy to know that my team has been welcomed by organizers of the second most important three week race in the world. This is a great accomplishment for both me and my staff but there is also a great responsibility to live up to expectations."

"I am also disturbed and disappointed to learn that the UCI president is singling out one team and ignoring others," noted the 40 year-old Russian regarding the UCI/Grand Tour row. "I understand the embarrassing position of the world cycling governing body in regarding to the situation with Unibet, a ProTour team that has not been invited to Giro. But, this situation has nothing to do with my team and should not become our problem.

"The real problem is a situation created by evasive and unclear regulation. This is exactly what happens when rules are unclear. I am reminded of a conversation I had with President McQuaid when I asked about obtaining a ProTour license and was given a very evasive and vague answer lacking concrete steps or any guarantees.

"We all know what happened to a very well organized and professionally managed team, Barloworld, which repeatedly requested a ProTour license without success," Tinkov continued. "Or the situation with Unibet, that was granted a license yet not invited to races. I bring these issues up in hopes gaining some clarity and for the sake of establishing an environment where problems and criticism are addressed away from the teams and back in UCI headquarters in Aigle."