Danish rider slowly building after a winter of illness and injury; riding for namesake Nicki and local boy Karsten Kroon in Dutch Classic
Chris Anker Sørensen (Saxo Bank) is beginning to find some form this season after struggling with illness and injury over the winter. A bad crash in the team’s Israeli training early December, where it was first thought that he had fractured his leg, was followed by a serious bout of ‘flu; both of which put his training behind schedule and caused him to change his race schedule.
The former Danish champion won the mountains jersey of last month’s Volta a Catalunya though, and rode last week’s Vuelta al Pais Vasco in support of teammate Daniel Navarro.
“Well, the form has been coming gradually,” said Sørensen, “but slower than last year because of injuries and illness but I’m looking forward to see where the condition takes me in a tough race like Amstel before doing the Liège.
“However, I’m sure that Karsten [Kroon] is ready for tomorrow,” he continued. “He’s been reciting the final 60 kilometres for me in our room and he knows every corner in this race and I’m looking forward to supporting him and Nicki [Sørensen] who also knows the terrain. But none of us are favourites to win.”
Having held on to its place in the International Cycling Union (UCI) first division WorldTour – following the retrospective suspension of Alberto Contador and the loss of all of his points – Saxo Bank currently sits at the bottom of the eighteen-team rankings. The Danish team has just 32 points so far, from Matteo Tosatto’s seventh place in Paris-Roubaix, and stage placings from Juan Jose Haedo and Manuele Boaro. To hold on to their place at the top table, Sørensen and his teammates will need to start getting results in the big races.
Sørensen might not expect a Saxo Bank winner of tomorrow’s prestigious WorldTour event, but he knows who he expects to see on the Cauberg podium.
“There are others to take that role such as Samuel Sánchez and Joaquim Rodriguez who were duelling in the Vuelta al Pais Vasco,” he explained, “and a man like Thomas Voeckler can always launch the crucial move as we saw it in Brabantse Pijl.”
While he doesn’t expect the Danish team to win the race, Sørensen and the rest of the Saxo Bank team are determined to make their mark.
“Make no mistake about it, we’re here to play a role in the finale.”
Saxo Bank team for the Amstel Gold Race
Mads Christensen, Christopher Juul Jensen, Karsten Kroon, Bruno Pires, Chris Anker Sørensen, Nicki Sørensen, David Tanner and Troels Vinther