Cervélo TestTeam has released their final roster for the start of the Vuelta a España. With a strong and balanced team that includes three home favorites, Cervélo TestTeam is primed to tackle the challenges of the 21-stage Grand Tour. The race begins in the Netherlands in Assen, on August 29 and finishes September 20 in Madrid, Spain.
Simon Gerrans (AUS), Ignatas Konovalovas (LTU), Xavier Florencio (ESP), Roger Hammond (GBR) and Philipp Deignan (IRL) will be looking for stage victories, while José Angel Gomez Marchante, racing on home turf, is focused on a strong result in the general classification. Alex Sans Vega (ESP) and Marcello Albasini (SUI) are the two sports directors with the Vuelta team and, along with their crew, will provide the riders with the best possible support to help them achieve their goals.
“The team has done a great job in its inaugural year on all aspects of the team’s mandate: equipment testing, fan access, and of course race performance,” said Thomas Campana, Team Manager. “But I am sure that we are not finished yet. The guys are still hungry, and they’re prepared to work hard to achieve top results in the next couple of months until the end of the season.”
Absent from the list is Carlos Sastre, who has opted not to take part in his home Tour. Sastre, who won the overall in the Tour de France in 2008, has already taken part in two Grand Tours this season, and will not race the third as he did in 2006.
Selection Cervélo TestTeam – Vuelta a España 2009
Iñigo Cuesta (ESP)
Philip Deignan (IRL)
Xavier Florencio (ESP)
Simon Gerrans (AUS)
Roger Hammond (GBR)
Ignatas Konovalovas (LTU)
Jose Angel Gómez Marchante (ESP)
Gabriel Rasch (NOR)
Dominique Rollin (CAN)