Riders head for the Vuelta a Espana
It is the season of the Vuelta a Espana, the third and final Grand Tour of the season and the second biggest cycling race in the world. The race begins this Saturday, and the week leading up to the race is when all the teams announce their line-up. Many have already done so on Monday.
Caisse d’Epargne has announced that their nine-rider team will be lead by Luis Leon Sanchez, fresh from his Clasica San Sebastian victory, and David Arroya, the runner-up at this year’s Giro d’Italia, the first of the three Grand Tours. Both are within reach of the top-10, but the team will be feeling the last of last year’s overall victor, Alejandro Valverde, who has been suspended from professional racing.
The Cervélo TestTeam will bring a strong squad to the 21 stage Vuelta, led by 2008 Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre and green jersey winner Thor Hushovd.
“With a strong and balanced team that includes Carlos Sastre and Thor Hushovd, TestTeam is ready to tackle the challenges of the 21-stage Vuelta a España,” said the Swiss team in a statement. “Hushovd will look for stage victories, while Sastre, racing on home soil, is focused on the podium in the general classification.”
Footon-Servetto’s nine-man team averages at 26-years-old, with only one rider over thirty. Rafael Valls and Manuel Cardoso will lead the team in the Vuelta.
“Our goal in this race will be searching for the stage wins,” said team manager Joxean Fernandez Matxin. “We'll count on Cardoso for the sprints, which we blindly trust he'll be racing hard, and we'll be also fighting with Valls, who should do well after his Tour de France.”
Vincenzo Nibali plans to capitalize on his good form from his win at the Trofeo Melinda when he leads Team Liquigas into the Vuelta, and he feels that the overall victory is a possibilty. Roman Kreuziger will be co-captaining the Spanish team.
"I want to nurse my classification goal,” said Nibali. “If I am not able to do well in the classification then I will aim for a stage win. I do not like having pressure. I will take it on without much thought, as with the Giro."
Team Euskaltel-Euskadi will be presenting Igor Anton for the general classification due to Samuel Sanchez’s decision not to ride in the Vuelta. The Spaniard finished fourth in the Tour de France this year and was the runner up in last year’s Spanish Grand Tour.
"Now that we have strong leaders for the Grand Tours, we race differently than previously," said Egoi Martinez. "We don't look for all the breakaways anymore. We've done a great job for Sanchez at the Tour and we'll be 100 percent behind Anton at the Vuelta."
"My early season has been successful", Anton explained. "I've not taken part in the Tour de France to focus on the Vuelta only. This was the right decision because the Vuelta is hilly and I'll need to be fresh."
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