Riis welcomes Danish rider back after four-year absence
Four years after leaving the team for stints on the Discovery Channel, Team GLS and Liquigas squads, Danish rider Brian Vandborg has once again signed for the Saxo Bank squad. The 28 year old Dane will be one of the support crew for Alberto Contador next season, and will hope to return to the sort of form he had in 2006.
Then, he finished fourth in the world time trial championships, won the national TT title and took various other strong results in what was his strongest season to date. His three years with the team also saw him win a stage in the 2005 Tour de Georgia.
Announcing the news, Team Saxo Bank said that he would be a strong addition. “Brian has proven his worth as a loyal team-mate and tireless pacemaker in time trials, team time trials and on the front of the peloton,” it said.
Aware that his best years were with the Danish squad, Vandborg welcomes the opportunity to return to the fold and set about getting back to the form he had before. He’s now at an age where he should be entering the prime years of his career and knows that he has to make the most of the chance he has been given.
While he’ll be in the service of Contador in races they will both compete in, he is likely to get chances at certain points in the season and can add to his own palmares.
“I had several options at hand for the next season and I was really content at Liquigas,” he said. “But I didn’t hesitate about my choice. I know what Bjarne (Riis) and the team stand for. He never compromises the equipment and the team is widely known for its professionalism, which beats most other ProTour teams.
“I’m sure I’ll get better and stronger with Saxo Bank-SunGard and I’m looking forward to meeting up with old teammates and new acquaintances like Alberto Contador.”
The Saxo Bank –Sungard setup in 2011 will be a very different-looking squad to the current lineup. Many riders are leaving, including the Schleck brothers, Matti Breschel, Stuart O’Grady, Jens Voigt and Jakob Fuglsang, while world time trial champion Fabian Cancellara is on the market, albeit with a massive buyout fee of three million Euro.
Meanwhile Contador and several of his right-hand men are travelling across from Astana, meaning the team will have a very different feel. Riis will do his utmost to ensure that it is run in the same way as before, and believes that Vandborg will fit right in.
“We know what Brian stands for. He is undoubtedly a great capacity for any team and now he has even gained more experience in the long stage races and he has become a stronger rider as well,” he said. “With his strength, adaptability and human qualities, he is a great fit for us and we are looking forward to welcoming him back to the team,”
This year, his best result came last month when he was sixth in the Tre Valli Varesine. He was also a solid thirteenth overall in the Tour of Denmark. He has a one year contract with Team Saxo Bank – Sungard, and one of his objectives will be to ensure, through strong performances, that he earns an extension to that.