Luxembourg team has familiar look with two thirds of last year’s Saxo Bank team included
The Leopard Trek team has announced its nine-man line up for the Tour de France, with few surprises as it seeks to guide last year’s runner up Andy Schleck to overall victory this time. The team has a familiar appearance, since six of the team rode last year’s Tour as members of the Saxo Bank team, but there are three new names who will be supporting the Luxembourger’s bid for yellow.
“It is no secret that we go to the Tour to try to win it,” said Team Manager Kim Andersen during the team presentation in the city of Luxembourg. “We have high ambitions for this team. We will target the overall and possibly even win some stages on the way to Paris.”
Officially, Fränk and Andy Schleck will be sharing the duties of leadership but, in practice, barring accident, it will just be younger brother Andy who will be pitted against overwhelming favourite Alberto Contador, who now rides for their former team.
The Schlecks brought over a number of riders from their old team, knowing that they would be strong workers in the Tour. Time trial World champion and Swiss road champion Fabian Cancellara, German veteran Jens Voigt and experience Aussie Stuart O’Grady will be called upon to control the peloton as much as possible, while Danish talent Jakob Fuglsang will provide support in the mountains.
Added to the list are Belgian Maxime Monfort and German Linus Gerdemann, who provided ample support in the mountains in the recent Tour de Suisse, and Dutchman Joost Posthuma, who rode the Critérium du Dauphiné.
Much of the strength of the Schleck’s teammates will be brought to bear in the stage two team time trial, where the team will look to put some early time into Contador.
Andy Schleck may well find himself the winner of the 2010 Tour de France, should appeals to the Court for Arbitration in Sport (CAS) go against Contador, but he will be anxious to take the 2011 edition on the road.
Leopard Trek team for the Tour de France:
Andy Schleck, Fränk Schleck, Fabian Cancellara, Linus Gerdemann, Maxime Monfort, Jakob Fuglsang, Jens Voigt, Stuart O’Grady and Joost Posthuma