Manager of the race winner for the past three years, Androni Giocattoli’s Gianni Savio has made it clear that his riders are determined to push for the final yellow jersey once again in the Tour de Langkawi. However the Italian has said that riders such as Tom Danielson (Garmin Barracuda) and Alexander Vinokourov (Astana) can’t be ruled out as potenial winners, with both having the abilty to triumph if they are in top form.
Because of that danger and due to its objectives, he has brought a stacked team to the race. “We have a very good team with climbers, because the choice was to have more climbers, no sprinters,” Savio told VeloNation in a video interviewed conducted prior to today’s team launch in downtown Kuala Lumpur. “We have five climbers because our objective is the overall classiment [classification – ed.], overall individual and also the overall team classiment. Our second sponsor is the government of Venezuela and in South America the general team classification is very, very important.”
The team’s core is built around the three most recent winners, namely Jose Serpa, Jose Rujano and Yonnatta Monsalve. Savio suggests each of those is going well enough to triumph, but they have to perform strongly in Friday’s 20.3 kilometre time trial opener in Putrajaya.
“It is sure that climbers are not time trial riders. I think that tomorrow we will try to defend,” he said. “Over 20 kilometres it is possible to make a difference, but I think we will be able to recuperate this in the hills of Genting.
“[However] If Danielson returns back in the Tour de Langkawi in good condition, he may be one of the potential winners. Also, a champion like Alexander Vinokourov – if he is in condition, it is sure that tomorrow he will make a very good time trial. He is also a climber because he is a complete rider - I see him as one of the potential winners.”
Click on the image below to watch the full interview.