Czech rider expected to be good in helping the team’s GC riders but also in his own right
The Czech climber Frantisek Padour has become the twentieth and final rider on the NetApp Endura roster for 2014, with the deal being announced by the team today.
The German squad is determined to ride at least one Grand Tour this season and while it has been confirmed as being one of those in the running for a wildcard slot on the Giro d’Italia, it is thought that securing selection for the Tour de France is a major motivation for the team.
Padour becomes the third Czech rider on the squad and team manager Raph Denk hopes that the 25 year old has a strong season.
“We’ve had a lucky hand with the Czech riders we’ve signed. With Jan Barta and Leopold König we have the current national champion and a Grand Tour stage winner riding for our team,” he said, referring to König’s fine victory on stage eight of the Vuelta a España. The climber also went on to finish ninth overall.
“We have seen both cyclists develop from the amateur level to riders who guarantee top results in the biggest races,” he continued.
As regards expectations for the new rider, Denk believes he will be useful both as a helper but also as an ambitious rider in his own right.
“We know Frantisek to be an experienced rider with qualities on any terrain. Above all, he is strong in the mountains, which we will use on tours for our classification riders. Of course he will also have the opportunity to ride for himself.”
Padour previously competed with the Continental Bauknecht-Author squad. He won the Czech Cycling Tour in 2012.
The team will have its first meeting this month, then travel to Mallorca in January for a two week training camp.
Compete NetApp Endura squad for 2014:
Jan Barta (CZE/28), Cesare Benedetti (ITA/26), Sam Bennett (IRL/23), Iker Camaño (ESP/34), David de la Cruz (ESP/24), Zakkari Dempster (AUS/26), Bartosz Huzarski (POL/33), Blaz Jarc (SLO/25), Leopold König (CZE/26), Tiago Machado (POR/28), Ralf Matzka (GER/24), Jonathan McEvoy (GBR/24), Jose Mendes (POR/28), Frantisek Padour (CZE/25), Erick Rowsell (GBR/23), Andreas Schillinger (GER/30), Daniel Schorn (AUT/25), Michael Schwarzmann (GER/22), Scott Thwaites (GBR/23), Paul Voss (GER/27)