Team Saxo Bank: A Contender for the Tour Podium
Denmark-based Team Saxo Bank is a true threat in this year’s Tour de France, with 2009 runner-up Andy Schleck the biggest threat to favourites Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong. It has won stages in all three Grand Tours and won overall in all but the Tour de France. In the 2008 Tour, the team won the overall team classification, and they won the UCI ProTour's team classification each year from 2005 through 2007, as well as the CQ Team Rankings from 2005 through 2008.
“We have ten riders on our Team of which all are ready and fit to do the race and that has made the job of selecting the line-up extremely difficult. That's why the decision has been made of tactical reasons. It has been a problem of pure luxury but it's not easy telling a rider to stay home when you know he would have done a great job in the race. However, we are now looking forward to a Tour de France with Team Saxo Bank in front of the race,” says teamowner, Bjarne Riis.
Andy Schleck, 25, is the Luxembourgese runner-up to Contador at the 2009 Tour de France. A solid climber, he won the Luxembourg time trial championship this past weekend. In the 2009 Tour de France he finished in second place, behind Alberto Contador and ahead of Lance Armstrong, and finished Stage 17 in 3rd place behind his brother Fränk and Contador. He won the Young Rider Classification for the second time at the 2009 Tour de France.
"If I think about 2009 it is true that it was Andy Schleck who put me most in trouble," said Spaniard Alberto Contador, last year’s Tour victor. "Alberto really just needs two or three climbers at his side in the mountains, but it will be different on the cobblestones," said Andy Schleck said last October. "He could suffer, while myself and Frank will have the support of cobblestone specialists.”
Frank Schleck, 30, is the older brother in the Schleck tandem, who twice finished in fifth place at the Tour, won the Tour of Switzerland and was a rung above Armstrong at the Tour of Luxembourg. He won the 17th stage of the 2009 Tour de France, reaching the finish line with overall leader Alberto Contador and his brother Andy. He is known for a knock-kneed riding style and a high cadence when climbing.
Jakob Fuglsang, 25, will be making his Tour de France debut this year, after taking home the first place in the Danish national time trials championship. He will serve the team as their best sprinter, hopefully earning them some flat stage wins.
“The sports director gave me Alex' intermediates on the course. First, I was three seconds ahead of him. Then I was only two seconds ahead and from then on, I was highly motivated to keep moving and keep pushing myself as I knew we were very close,” said Fuglsang.
Fabian Cancellara, 29, is the world's best time trialist and among the best one day classic cyclists. The 2008 Swiss Male Athlete of the year, 2009 saw Cancellara win the first stage of the Tour de France and kept the yellow jersey for several days.
Jens Voigt, 39, is known and loved for his very aggressive style of riding. He is capable of attacking again and again in his effort to break away from the peloton. Jens is very strong in one day races and smaller tours.
Stuary O’Grady, 37, joined Team Saxo Bank in 2005. Otherwise 2005 and 2006 was years of injuries for Stuart, but he came back strong in 2007. With his win in Paris-Roubaix Stuart became the first Australian to win a major classic.
Matti Breschel, 25, joined Team Saxo Bank in 2005 after a very successful amateur career. The first year he was looked after by the experienced rider Lars Michaelsen and showed very good form winning the “best young rider” at Tour of Qatar. In 2009, he won stages in Tour de Suisse, Tour of Denmark, Tour de Luxembourg and won the Danish Championship.
Chris Anker Sørensen, 26, rode in the Tour de France for the first time in 2009. In the mountain stages he proved to be a valuable helper for Team Saxo Bank captain, Andy Schleck. In the last race of the year Chris showed his strength by winning Japan Cup.
Nicki Sørensen, 35, is all-around rider. The 2009 Tour de France gave Nicki the biggest win of his career when on the 12th stage, he showed he was the strongest rider of the day and pulled away from the breakaway group for a fantastic solo win.
The tenth rider, Swedish time trial specialist Gustav Larsson, is on standby in case of injuries.
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