Team Saxo Bank strongmen Matti Breschel and Jens Voigt have confirmed that they will depart the Danish squad, joining an exodus of riders which includes Andy and Frank Schleck, Jakob Fuglsang, Stuart O’Grady and others.
Voigt has been with the team for seven years and is one of its most recognisable and best-loved characters. Breschel joined in 2005 and is regarded as one of the top young talents from Denmark.
“I would like to have come with a clear statement already, and I hope it happens within a very short time. But the team wants itself to declare that I have signed,” he told Politiken, presumably referring to the as-yet undisclosed setup he is moving to. “I have already said that I certainly do not stay with Bjarne Riis.”
Voigt said less, but also made it clear that he’s going. “I think that’s true, yes,” he said, when asked if he was leaving.
It is as yet unclear as to where the riders are headed. The Schleck brothers are thought to be riding for a new Luxembourg team next year, although nothing concrete has yet been announced about the project. Fuglsang, Voigt and O’Grady are expected to join them. As for Breschel, it’s unclear if he will be part of the same setup, or head to a third squad. What’s certain though is that Team Saxo Bank as many people know it is in its final months of existence, with a vastly different squad to be headed by Alberto Contador next year.
Breschel admitted that he and the other riders have felt a certain sadness, but said that they have been able to remain focussed.
“Here at the Post Denmark Tour, we are still able to concentrate fully on the task that we have for Team Saxo Bank,” he said. “We are all of course interested in getting the best possible result, and the collaboration works completely flawlessly.
“It was the same at the Tour de France; everyone knew then that many would be racing on another team next year. Although we would be together for a minimum of three weeks, there existed an almost-melancholy mood in the team because we would be separated after several great years together. But that might also have contributed to the fact that we were able to provide something extra [ride harder].”
Riis has struggled for several months to come up with a new backer. Saxo Bank had indicated that it didn’t want to remain on board as the title sponsor, and Riis was searching for another to take its place. He said during the Tour de France that SunGard and another, un-named company would be on board, but then earlier this week surprised many when he revealed that Saxo Bank had decided to stay for one more season.
Contador has signed a two year deal and this should secure the team’s future for at least this length of time. However the long delay in finalising the team’s plans has meant that Riis has lost some of the key figures from his squad.
Breschel wants to close things out with a win at the world championships. He was third two years ago and has been told that the course suits him perfectly. He is not expected to ride the Vuelta a España, though, and so will have to try to hit peak form by riding several one day events and training hard.