The exodus of many of Team Saxo Bank’s previous top names continues with the confirmation that Stuart O’Grady will be competing with the Luxembourg Pro Cycling Project in 2011. Long expected, the news means that the Australian will join former team-mates Frank and Andy Schleck, Jakob Fuglsang, Jens Voigt and Dominic Klemme with the new team, which is pushing hard to secure a ProTour licence for its debut season.
World time trial champion Fabian Cancellara is heavily tipped to also make the move, but nothing has been confirmed as yet.
O’Grady is one of the most experienced riders in the peloton and has a strong list of successes. General Manager Brian Nygaard believes these two factors make him a standout signing. “Stuart is a real legend and probably among the most phenomenal athletes of his generation,” he stated. “He has won everything worth winning on the track, as well as an impressive list of victories on the road, topped off by claiming one of the most beautiful recent editions of the Paris-Roubaix.”
It is his been-there, done-that history which will help him and the team, but so too his keen sense of tactics. That makes him an ideal road captain, helping to guide and reassure his team-mates in the thick of the action. “Stuart is technically brilliant and has a very sound mind,” Nygaard said. “He is instrumental in setting up a road strategy and can carry a team through a Tour. Stuart is such an asset and will be instrumental to the success of this team.”
O’Grady has had a quiet couple of seasons, but despite the fact that he is now 37 years of age, he believes he can return to his top form and add to an impressive palmares. His many career victories include that 2007 Paris-Roubaix, three stages in the Tour de France, the 2004 Hew Cyclassics, two editions of the Tour Down Under, the Tour of Britain, two world team pursuit titles, the 2004 Olympic Madison gold medal and the Herald Sun Tour. He’s also got two top-five finishes in Milan-Sanremo to his credit.
“Personally I want to have another big Classics season,” he said, setting the bar high for his first year with the new team. “I have been a bit unlucky with injuries and broken bones since winning Roubaix in 2007. So it would be nice to win some big races with the team and of course help the Schlecks win the Tour de France! Most importantly of all, enjoy cycling, racing and giving it 100% every time.”
Netting a second Tour title is of course one of his big goals. He helped Carlos Sastre to yellow two years ago and knows that Andy Schleck is ready to step up from two runner-up slots. Whether or not Alberto Contador is able to compete in next year’s Tour, Schleck will line out as one of the biggest favourites.
O’Grady will be able to help out in that campaign. “Experience is something you cannot buy and it is a nice value to pass on,” he said. “I enjoy the challenge of being road captain. It is not as easy as it sounds. I have to use my knowledge, to keep the 'young guns cool, calm and collected when the going gets tough. I remind the guys to work as a team, to support each other, to respect each other, and to give 100%.”
Little is known yet about who will be backing the new team. Trek and Mercedes are amongst the suppliers, but there has been no announcement yet about where the funding will come from. That situation is expected to be clarified at some point in the near future.