Tough news for Alby

Simon Gerrans missing the cut with Cervelo for the Tour de France was atough blow for the rider, but it's been even tougher for Allan Davis,who lost his chance by the smallest of margins.

In Simon Gerrans and Brett Lancaster, Australia was sure they'd have two Aussies riding for the Cervélo TestTeam at this year's Tour de France (three if you include Heinrich Haussler), but it wasn't to be.

When the news broke that Gerrans missed the cut, there was a flurry of replies from Cycling Central readers chastising Cerv̩lo management but most of all, lamenting the loss of this popular, exciting, aggressive and future Spring Classics star, and I can understand that РI felt the same way.

But when I spoke with Lancaster following Friday's Cervélo press conference in Monaco, he told me there were three other guys who stood as much of a chance as Gerrans had of going to this year's Tour de France, but then had to take the bad news as late as he got it two Wednesdays ago.

I no longer believe the decision to exclude Gerrans had anything to do with his training with Lance Armstrong in Colorado a few weeks ago; Gerrans simply wanted to get out of town for a while, and Aspen was an ideal environment to train in – he did it last year, too.

I believe Cerv̩lo management and defending Tour champion Carlos Sastre, the chief decision makers in the composition of the final nine riders, still respect Gerro a great deal Рit's just one of those unfortunate cases where you have more in-form riders than you need, and therefore have to make a very hard decision at the end of the day.

"For sure, it's a bit of a shame not to see Gerro here," Lancaster told me Friday.

"The competition was that strong to get in. I thought I would be going but I still wasn't one-hundred percent. For Thor [Hushovd], being his right-hand man and based on my form, of course I thought I'd be going. It was totally up to the staff, the decision, and I was still waiting [last] Wednesday to know what the team [composition] was.

"I was stressed for a couple of days and my wife said, 'What are you worried about?' Of course, Carlos is captain, and we didn't know which way he wanted to go with the team. I heard Gerrans missed out and I felt really sorry for him, especially at the start here in Monaco [where he lives during the season], just to sit here and watch it."

Lancaster added that Sastre brought a bunch of big guys – well, big by cycling standards – because of the Montpellier team time trial on Stage 4, where the maximum three-minute deficit rule no longer applies; that is, there is no upper limit on the amount of time lost. Sastre, a pure climber by nature, can hold his own in the mountains. But in a situation like the TTT, and over a difficult 39-kilometre hilly and undulating parcours like the one they will face on Tuesday, July 7, the Spaniard will need all the help he can get.

"It's pretty technical and pretty important, we'll be right up there, I think, right up there," Lancaster predicted. "I'm a bit stressed and nervous about it because there's a lot of pressure on us, but I come from a track background and I love that kind of stuff."

When I spoke with 'Burt' as Lancaster's affectionately nicknamed, he let me know he had a bit of a cold that just wouldn't go away. Hopefully though, he'll be right as roses when Hushovd and Sastre need him most, even though Gerro won't be his roomie this year.

"But I know Gerrans. He's a real Aussie, he's a real goer – he'll bounce back. I'm sure he'll come out and win a stage of the Vuelta, I'm sure of that," Lancaster said of his friend.

At least he got told when he did. Spare a thought for poor ol' Allan Davis of Quick Step, who found himself part of the teams presentation Thursday evening, then was told Friday – just a day before the start – a day! – he was no longer needed, with a court decision by the French Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling Tom Boonen eligible to race. Now that's what I call unfair – what a way to be treated.