Although last year’s quintuple stage winner John Degenkolb will not be travelling to the race, the Argos Shimano team has named a dozen riders from which it hopes a successful team will be drawn up.
The Dutch squad is on a morale high after its other marquee sprinter Marcel Kittel won four stages at the Tour de France, underlining his new status as the world’s best sprinter. While Kittel will also be absent, the team has said that it will aim for success on the sprint stages and also on lumpier stages through breakaways.
General manager Iwan Spekenbrink said that the emphasis is on young riders. “Our young talents have developed very well this year and have showed their potential, so they deserve the Vuelta a España selection,” he said.
“Their selection is for the present and the future: they will contribute to the team’s performance, and the Vuelta will support their further development.”
The preselection includes Dutchmen Koen de Kort, Tom Stamsnijder and Ramon Sinkeldam, Germans Nikias Arndt and Johannes Fröhlinger, Frenchmen Warren Barguil, Thierry Hupond and François Parisien plus the Australian Will Clarke.
Also on the list are the American Tom Peterson, South Africa’s Reinardt Janse van Rensburg and Georg Preidler of Austria.
“We have a very diverse preselection, with all kinds of riders in the team,” explained the coach Christian Guiberteau. “We are chasing stage success with a strong selection that includes young riders who will be getting their first Grand Tour experience.
“All the riders will be very eager to show their specialty during the race and to contribute to the team’s success.”
The race begins on August 24th with a team time trial from Vilanova de Arousa to Sanxenxo.
Argos Shimano pre-selection for Vuelta a Espana:
Nikias Arndt (GER)
Warren Barguil (FRA)
Will Clarke (AUS)
Johannes Fröhlinger (GER)
Thierry Hupond (FRA)
Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (RSA)
Koen de Kort (NED)
François Parisien (FRA)
Tom Peterson (USA)
Georg Preidler (AUT)
Ramon Sinkeldam (NED)
Tom Stamsnijder (NED)