Says that the team’s Tour de France riders aren’t to 100% yet
With the opening stage team time trial currently plowing the brightly lit roads of Sevilla, the Saxo Bank team is warming up for their start as the fourth from last team to go tonight at 23:16.
Earlier in the day, team director and former time trial specialist, Bradley McGee, spoke with feltet.dk. The Australian was not too keen to heap pressure on his riders ahead of what could be a solid chance at victory for a team known for its team time trial prowess.
“This stage is not a big goal for the team. Our Tour de France riders are not yet at the same level as in July, and we have not trained specifically for the team time trial, so I am not putting any pressure on the riders.
The former Olympic Champion, while not certain of his team’s chances tonight, is quick to praise three of his riders who did not race the Tour de France in July: Larsson, Lund, and Klemme.
“Riders like Gustav Larsson, Anders Lund, and Dominic Klemme are in good shapen, but that does not mean that we can compete on the same level as the favorites.”
The big Swede, Gustav Larsson, is in fine form at the moment, just coming off of a great victory at the Tour du Limousin. Larsson nearly made the Saxo Bank Tour de France squad, but was left off the team in lieu of Chris Anker Sorensen, who proved indispensable on the three week journey around France in July. He’ll have his chance at his second Grand Tour of 2010 starting in just a few minutes, and hopes to pick up where he left off at the Giro: he won the final stage time trial in Verona back in May.
McGee isn’t sure about his team’s chances against some high powered opponents, but he’s also not against giving credit where it is due. Even with some riders that might not be at full strength, he has a fine crew.
“But with riders like Stuart O’Grady and Fabian Cancellara, anything can happen, so a victory would be a nice surprise.”