Unibet take ASO to court

ASO, which organises the Tour de France as well as Paris-Nice, and the International Cycling Union (UCI) reached an accord on Monday to allow every Pro team except Unibet.com to race in Paris-Nice.

As the only Pro squad being excluded from Paris-Nice, Unibet.com have gone to French court to attempt to force ASO to include the team in the race.

Unibet, who are arguing against ASO's principal contention that it is illegal for the team to race in France because of laws prohibiting promotion of gambling companies, are expecting a decision by Friday.

"The Unibet team has sufficient material to refute these justifications," the team said in a press release on Wednesday.

"The justifications invoked are manifestly a cover-up. It is apparent that the Unibet Team has been refused access to several races on arbitrary grounds, and namely in order to provoke a conflict with UCI."

Unibet.com told a press conference on Wednesday that the team had already been allowed to race in France in neutral uniforms, which do not name the team's sponsor.

"As a matter of fact, in the first races of the season, the GP de la Marseillaise and the Etoile de Bessèges, the Unibet Team has raced in a 'neutral' outfit, upon prior dialogue with the representatives of the French police authorities."

Still on Wednesday the ASO was insisting that it was only obeying French laws in denying Unibet.com a place in the ceremonial opening of the cycling season and that the team's place in the Tour de France was by no means certain.

"Unibet poses us an additional problem in regards to French law," said ASO president Patrice Clerc. "Since they are outside of that law, we are prohibited from considering their candidacy."

"If they are no longer [outside French law], by the authorisation of one ministry or another, in this exception, I am certain, we will consider their candidacy."

The team, who have said they paid 32 million euros for their place in the ProTour, reiterated in their press conference that the team have already raced in France this season in neutral colours, which were allowed by French law.

In perhaps their firmest threat, Unibet.com promised to sue the organisers of the three Grand Tours for defamation if any of them continued to insist that their race participation was in someway illegal.

Paris-Nice is scheduled to start on Sunday with a five kilometre prologue in the Issy-les-Moulineaux suburb outside of Paris.