Grand Tour debut for German sprint prodigy Marcel Kittel
While may teams are naming their long-lists for the Vuelta a España, Skil-Shimano has named the nine riders that will take the start in Benidorm in just under two weeks time. The Dutch team rode the 2009 edition of the Spanish tour, largely since it started in the Drenthe region of the Netherlands, but was disappointed last year as it was passed over for many of the biggest races of the season.
The Vuelta will see the Grand Tour debut of 23-year-old German sprint sensation Marcel Kittel, who won four stages – with apparent ease – in the recent Tour of Poland. Kittel has a total of twelve victories so far this season, including another four at the Quatre Jours de Dunkerque, and will be relishing the prospect of performing on one of the biggest stages in the sport; in Poland he has already proven that he can take on some of the biggest riders.
Along with Kittel, four other riders will be making their Grand Tour debut in the race, with Dutchmen Roy Curvers and Tom Veelers, Frenchman Alexandre Geniez and Japanese Yukihiro Doi riding a three-week race for the first time.
While the team doesn’t have an contender for the overall classification, Skil-Shimano’s big aim for the race is a stage victory, either through Kittel in a sprint or through a breakaway.
The team will be led by sports directors Rudi Kemna and Christian Guiberteau.
Skil-Shimano team for the Vuelta a España:
Roy Curvers, Yukihiro Doi, Johannes Fröhlinger, Simon Geschke, Marcel Kittel, Koen de Kort, Albert Timmer, Tom Veelers and Alexandre Geniez