Former Tour de France stage winner needs to step up after a quiet 2010
Spanish rider Juanjo Cobo is hoping to get his career back on track in 2011 after a very quiet season and will, along with David Gutiérrez, compete with the Geox TMC team next year.
The duo have been confirmed today as joining the new-look team, which is evolving out of the current Footon-Servetto-Fuji structure. It will feature many strong riders in 2011, including Tour de France 2010 podium finisher Denis Menchov and the 2008 Tour champion Carlos Sastre, and will make a serious tilt at the three Grand Tours next season.
Cobo is best known for his aggression, winning a stage of the Tour de France in 2008, taking the Vuelta al Pais Vasco in 2008 and also netting stages in other events. He won a stage and finished tenth overall in last year’s Vuelta a España but, expected to deliver this season, simply didn’t fire well as part of Caisse d’Epargne’s lineup.
The 29 year old believes that the move back to working within his former team structure will help him to “recover enthusiasm for cycling. It’s been a very tough season for me from the psychological point of view, and I’m a rider who needs to feel stable to give my very best,” he said. “I’m return to work alongside the directors who brought me to my top level. We both know the good and bad points of each other and I’m sure this will help to bring me back to the performances of those three years before this last bad season.”
Mauro Gianetti is one of those who will guide him. The general manager of the team is sure that he will return to his usual level of competitiveness.
“All of us know the sporting quality Cobo has. He has already shown he can ride within the best, as well in the mountains as in the time trials, and will be a great helper for the team leaders,” he said. “He did his best performances with us and after a year full of troubles we’re confident he can get back to his level.”
He also welcomed the signature of David Gutiérrez, who was part of the Footon-Servetto-Fuji squad this season. Gutiérrez made his debut in the Vuelta a España, completing the race, and also won the mountains classification in the Volta a Catalunya.
“David also earned continuity with the team as he showed professional, serious attitude throughout the season, “ he said. “That’s why he deserves this opportunity. The signing of both is also another step forward in our collaboration plans with the region of Cantabria, which is continuously supporting us.”