HUNT OUT OF CREDIT AGRICOLE'S TOUR LINE-UP

• Sunday, 29 June 2008
• Alasdair Fotheringham
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The Credit Agricole website named the nine riders that will be taking part in the 2008 Tour de France on Sunday evening - and Briton Jeremy Hunt is not amongst them.

The Devonian was on the long list for Credit Agricole’s Tour team, to work as a lead-out man for Thor Hushovd in the bunch sprints. But at the last possible moment, he has not been included in the line-up.

“The choice was never going to be easy because we had a lot of good riders.” team manager Roger Legeay was quoted by a French news agency on Sunday evening.

“We didn’t want to rule anybody out as a punishment. Rather we’ve had very good results right the way from the start of the season and we were spoiled for choice.”

Hunt’s exclusion is not the only surprise: Patrice Halgand and Sebastien Hinault, two regulars in the C.A. line-up and the former a Tour stage winner back in 2002, will not be taking part, either.

As for the sprints, with Hunt not present, Frenchmen William Bonnet and Jimmy Engoulvent, together with Australian Mark Renshaw will be leading Hushovd out. Remi Pauriol, who led the Tour of Catalonia for three days this May, is also taking part, as well as Australian climber Simon Gerrans.

Credit Agricole for the 2008 Tour
William Bonnet (FRA), Alexandre Botcharov (RUS), Jimmy Engoulvent (FRA), Dmitriy Fofonov (KAZ), Simon Gerrans (AUS), Thor Hushovd (NOR), Christophe Le Mevel (FRA), Remi Pauriol (FRA), Mark Renshaw (AUS).