Matti Breschel and Jakob Fuglsang Leave Saxo Bank
Rabobank officially announced on Monday that they have signed a two-season deal with Matti Breschel, riding for Team Saxo Bank in the 2010 season. Saxo Bank is undergoing a serious restructuring with the departure of the Schleck brothers, and the Danish rider will be leaving the team to become a strong component of Rabobank’s classics contingent. The Dane explained that the decision was not easy.
"It's been a very difficult decision, and it's quite sad," said Breschel. "My heart was with Saxo Bank, but now I feel it is time to try something new, to get some hair on the chest."
Breschel has just completed the Tour of Denmark, earning his third consecutive win of the overall points classification in his homeland race. The 2009 Danish road champion in 2009 finished the race in top-five overall. The 25-year old also holds stage wins in the Vuelta a España and Tour de Suisse.
"Breschel has shown that he is one of the most talented riders for one-day races," said Rabobank manager Erik Breukink. "Together with Boom and Langeveld, we can build a strong unit for the classics."
His Saxo Bank teammate, Jakob Fuglsang, was the overall winner of the Tour of Denmark, also for the third consecutive time. Their winning partnership will end with the season, since while Fuglsang is also leaving Saxo Bank, he will not be joining Rabobank.
The Tour of Denmark winner has explicitly stated he will be leaving his team when the Schleck brothers do, explaining that he is not willing to ride for three-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador.
“Am I happy to ride for Contador? No I’m not,” Fuglsang said to Ekstra Bladet. “Now you can interpret whether it means that I don’t want to ride for him, or whether I’m switching teams. It would be a strange situation riding for Fränk and Andy one year and then riding for Contador the next. It would be strange to be riding against my friends.”
Fuglsang served as a pace-setter for Andy Schleck, who finished the Tour de France as the runner-up to Contador. He is rumoured to be in talks to join the new Luxembourg-based team being led by the Schleck brothers, but nothing has been made official.
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