Phonak names final Tour squad

Phonak Cycling Team | Phonak presents the Tour de France team

Phonak finalized its Tour squad Sunday, making good on the team's promise to exclude Santiago Botero and Juan Enrique Gutierrez until the Operación Puerto investigation shakes out.

Without Botero and Gutierrez, two riders who have gone Top 5 in a grand tour, Phonak has riders from 9 different countries focused on placing Floyd Landis of the United States as high as he can climb.

South Africa's Robbie Hunter is already back from a shoulder and hand injury suffered a month ago at the Volta a Catalunya, and reports that he's free of pain. Axel Merckx of Belgium is riding his 7th Tour in what may be his final season, and Nicolas Jalabert of France starts his 8th Tour.

Phonak 2006 Tour de France squad:
• Floyd Landis
• Axel Merckx
• Nicolas Jalabert
• Robert Hunter
• Miguel Angel Perdiguero (Spain)
• Bert Grabsch (Germany)
• Koos Moerenhout (Netherlands)
• Alexandre Moos (Switzerland)
• Victor Hugo Peña (Colombia)

Also:

Eurosport | Phonak: Floyd not sitting pretty