Additional support for Andy and Frank Schleck plus the other leaders of the Luxembourg Pro Cycling Project has been announced, with Swiss climber Oliver Zaugg and the Dutch TT specialist Joost Posthuma being set to join the new team.
The 29 year old duo join the impressively-strong lineup, which also includes proven winners such as Jakob Fuglsang, Daniele Bennati and Linus Gerdemann, and is rumoured to have also signed world time trial champion Fabian Cancellara. It looks set to be one of the strongest teams in world cycling from 2011 onwards.
Zaugg has taken some very solid results in the past, including 15th overall in both the Vuelta a España and the Tour de Suisse, but his new team management believe that he can step up a level.
“Oliver is someone who is always reliable in the mountains,” said general manger Brian Nygaard. “He can definitely be counted on to be there to protect the leaders on the last climbs of the Grand Tours. He is very much a luxury helper for the leaders.
“He has already proved himself to be strong in the stage races, and he hasn’t even hit his limit; he’s a rider with a lot of promise.”
Zaugg has competed with Liquigas for the past two seasons and is excited about the new challenge. “To know that I will have the chance to use my particular strengths to support the Schlecks and the other general
classification riders achieve their biggest goals in cycling was a huge part of my decision to join this team,” he said. “I want to help the team reach its goals, and I want to work well with everyone in this new project and really enjoy our times together.
“I definitely see this as a prime opportunity to play a large role in helping my team succeed in races like the Tour de France,” he continued. “To participate in our team’s biggest goals is certainly my top priority for this coming season!”
Posthuma will be one of those also vying for a place on the Tour team, but he will have other goals beforehand. “Personally, I want to have success in the Spring Classics and aim for shorter stage races which include time trials,” the former Rabobank rider explained. “The whole team’s biggest goal is to take part in the Tour de France with a serious candidate for a podium or the overall, and I want to support that with everything I have to offer.”
Nygaard echoes this, believing that he can add to past victories like the Tour of Luxembourg, the Vuelta a Andalucia and the Three Days of de Panne.
“Joost is someone who we definitely see as being able to take the next step to winning big time trials and shorter stage races throughout the year,” he stated. “He has been knocking on the door for quite a while now, and we hope that with the added motivation of coming to a team like ours, he’ll be able to add more success to his already impressive CV. I think he could be one of the big surprises of next year.”
Full details about the team are yet to be announced, including the backer and the complete lineup. Thus far, it includes riders such as the Schleck brothers, Gerdemann, Bennati, Fuglsang, Will Clarke, Stefan Denifl, Brice Feillu, Dominic Klemme, Anders Lund, Maxime Monfort, Martin Mortensen, Giacomo Nizzolo, Stuart O’Grady, Bruno Pires, Tom Stamsneijder, Davide Viganò, Jens Voigt, Fabian Wegmann and Wouter Weylandt.