Team Katusha announced its squad for the Amstel Gold Race
Amstel Gold Race is the 11th biggest race of the season and a number of cyclists from across the globe are warming up for the mega event.
The 2012 version of the race is scheduled on April 15, 2012, in Netherlands and the winner of the race will be awarded with 80 important UCI points. The second and the third position holders will claim 60 and 50 points respectively.
The race started back in 1966 and the French cyclist Jean Stablinski succeeded at its first edition.
Jan Raas of Netherlands holds the honour of winning it for a maximum number of 5 times, 1977-1980 and 1982. Belgian cyclist Philippe Gilbert claimed the most recent version of the race in 2011.
The 2012 version of the race will test the cyclists through a gruelling distance of 256.5 kilometres across the beautiful landscapes of Netherland.
Two of the top World Tour teams have already finalised their roster for the coming race including Team Movistar and Team Katusha.
Both the teams are desperately in need of wins and are sending their strongest sides to the event.
Amstel Gold Race is the first big race of the Ardennes Classics and Oscar Freire, Joaquim Rodriguez and Alejandro Valverde are favourites to stop the reigning champion, Gilbert.
Rodriguez fell short of Philippe in the past season and had to settle for the second overall spot while Simon Gerrans, Jakob Fuglsang and Alexandr Kolobnev occupied the next three spots.
Team Katusha stated that Rodriguez will be its key man at this year’s race and he will be supported by Oscar Freire at the event.
“This season, Rodriguez will try again to win this Classic, leading Katusha Team together with Oscar Freire,” the team cited.
Both Rodriguez and Freire helped the team with their brilliant performances in the current season.
Rodriguez has filled his bag with a142 UCI points and claimed the eighth overall spot at the 2012 UCI World Tour Elite Men rankings. Freire is two points behind and occupies the ninth spot.
The final squad to represent Team Katusha at the Amstel Gold Race includes Xavier Florencio, Alberto Vicioso, Oscar Freire, Alberto Losada, Daniel Moreno, Luca Paolini, Joaquim Rodriguez and Eduard Vorganov.
Tags: