Kim Andersen unfazed by expectations at Luxembourgian team
Kim Andersen, directeur sportif of the Luxembourgian cycling team that has formed ahead of the 2011 season, has played down the expectations his roster faces during its first season racing together.
Andersen, who worked for Bjarne Riis' team Saxo Bank until being fired in June for planning to start a new team, will preside over a strong squad at the team, which has yet to find a main sponsor.
Andy Schleck, runner-up in the last two editions of the Tour de France, announced that he and his older brother Frank were joining Andersen in his switch from Saxo Bank in July.
Aside from the Schleck brothers, the Luxembourgian team have secured the services of Italian sprinter Daniele Bennati and German supporting rider Jens Voigt, among other riders.
"There are obviously high expectations for us. I cannot get around that," Andersen said about his team's potential.
"There must be expectations, but at the moment I'm relaxed about things. I cannot say now whether I will be nervous in the future, I guess I don't know."
Andersen, whose successes at Saxo Bank include a sweep of the general, young riders' and team classifications at the 2008 edition of the Tour, said that patience and dedication will be key in bringing results to the new team.
"My philosophy is that, of course there is a lot of pressure on us, with more to come, but we must be careful not to let it run away with us. If you work through it 100 percent and coach riders properly, it will come, even if it might not happen in the first
week."
Brian Nygaard, the team's general manager, has previously said that he aims to put both Andy and Frank Schleck on the Tour podium in 2011, and Andersen confirmed the team's ambitions in cycling's finest event.
"When we talk about the Tour de France, it is clear that we have some riders who will go for the overall win, but I believe that we have a team that is so strong that we could help in many areas throughout the season."
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