Gutierrez and Rojas to lead Spanish squad
Spanish team Movistar will get the 2011 season underway at the Santos Tour Down Under next month, fielding a solid team led by Jose Ivan Gutierrez and Jose Joaquin Rojas.
The squad, which was previously run under the Caisse d’Epargne sponsorship, will have a new look and new ambitions this season. It’s missing previous team leader Alejandro Valverde and so it will target wins with other riders in the races it enters, while also aiming to develop its younger competitors for future success.
Santos Tour Down Under race director Mike Turtur knows the team will want to make an early impression; one of the motivations will be to show its new sponsors that they have made a good investment.
“We are thrilled to have a strong Spanish squad compete at our race next year with some of Spain’s biggest talents such as Jose Joaquin Rojas and Jose Ivan Gutierrez,” he said of the team. “Rojas has shown his competitive side here, winning the Cycle Instead Young Rider jersey twice. Gutierrez is another strong rider who competed with Rojas at our race last year, and is the current Spanish national road race champion.”
With the race beginning on January 16th, the disclosure of the names is starting to speed up. The Santos Tour Down Under race organisers have released the identities of those who will race with four other teams. Tour de France stage winner and former Amstel Gold victor Sergei Ivanov will lead Team Katusha, while another past Tour stage winner Roman Feillu will line out with Vacansoleil.
The selections for Lampre-ISD and Euskaltel-Euskadi have also been disclosed. The race had previously confirmed the participation of several top-level riders, including Mark Cavendish (HTC Highroad), Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Cervélo), Andre Greipel (Omega Pharma Lotto), Richie Porte (Saxo Bank SunGard), Gerald Ciolek and Francesco Chicchi (Quick Step), Allan Davis (Astana), world under 23 champion Michael Matthews (Rabobank), plus Lance Armstrong and Robbie McEwen of Team RadioShack.
As the first event on the UCI World Tour calendar, all the ProTeams will be present.
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Santos Tour Down Under 2011:
Team Movistar (Spain): Jose Joaquin Rojas (ESP), Angel Madrazo (ESP), Jose Vicente Garcia (ESP), Jose Ivan Gutierrez (ESP), Luis Pasamontes (ESP), Francisco Ventoso (ESP), David Lopez (ESP).
Team Manager Jose Luis Arrietta (ESP)
Katusha (Russia): Denis Galimzyanov (RUS), Aliaksandr Kuchynski (BLR), Eduard Vorganov (RUS),, Juan Horrach (ESP), Sergei Ivanov (RUS), Nikolay Trusov (RUS), Stijn Vanderbergh (BEL),
Team Manager: Dmitriy Konychev (RUS)
Team: Lampre-ISD (ITA): Alfredo Balloni (ITA), Vitaliy Buts (UKR), Alessandro Spezialetti (ITA), Aitor Perez Arrieta (ESP), Matteo Bono (ITA), Daniele Righi (ITA), Manuele Mori (ITA)
Team Manager: Bogdan Bondariew (POL)
Team: Euskaltel-Euskadi (ESP): Iñaki Isasi (ESP), Miguel Minguez (ESP), Ruben Perez (ESP), Gorka Izagirre (ESP), Ion Izagirre (ESP), Iván Velasco (ESP), Daniel Sesma (ESP),
Team Manager: Josu Larrazabal (ESP)
Vacansoleil DCM (NED): Maxim Belkov (RUS), Sergey Lagutin (UZB), Mirko Servaggi (ITA), Thomas de Gendt (BEL), Romain Feillu (FRA), Joost van Leijen (NED), Alberto Ongarato (ITA)
Team Manager: Michel Cornelisse (NED)