Experienced domestiques chosen to look after the team’s four veteran team leaders
The RadioShack team has announced its nine-rider line up for next month’s Tour de France; the team’s four leaders for the race were announced yesterday, and now the five riders that will support them have also been named. While a number of the riders listed on team’s long-list for the race will be a little disappointed, there are few surprises with experienced domestiques getting the final places.
“It was hard to make the selection of these nine riders," said team manager Johan Bruyneel. “After the injury of Sébastien Rosseler, we still had a pre-selection of 14 riders. In the end we can say that the complete 2011 Tour roster has been chosen based on the strongest team from both a sportive and experience criteria.”
It had already been announced that Tour de Suisse winner Levi Leiphemer, Tour of California winner Chris Horner, Vuelta al Pais Vasco winner Andreas Klöden, and 2010 Critérium du Dauphiné winner Janez Brajkovic would be the team leaders. Unlike in the days of Lance Armstrong though, it is not yet clear which of the four will be the team’s out-and-out leader, with the road likely to decide.
"With Brajkovic, Horner, Klöden and Leipheimer we will start with four guys who will be able to contend for the general classification," Bruyneel explained. “Jani Brajkovic beat Alberto Contador in last year's Critérium du Dauphiné. At age 39 Chris Horner dominated the Tour of California and proves to get better with the years. Andreas Klöden has had a healthy and strong season so far, winning the Vuelta al Pais Vasco and finishing as runner-up in Paris-Nice. And then Levi...he was so impressive in Switzerland; he is ready.
“Too many leaders is not an ideal situation,” Bruyneel admitted, “but we are confident we can turn this into an advantage. Together we are strong to fight against [Alberto] Contador and the Schlecks [Andy and Fränk - ed]. Moreover, after the first decisive stages you already have a very good idea on the tactics to follow. We proved in the past that Team RadioShack is a real Team. All riders sacrifice themselves with pleasure for the common goal.
“Team RadioShack is not a mixture of individuals,” he emphasised.
Whatever happens in France in July though, it’s highly unlikely that the team’s four leaders will have quite the rivalry that occurred between Contador and Armstrong in 2009, when most of this team was riding for Astana.
The five riders selected to support those four leaders around the race are Markel Irizar, Dmitriy Muravyev, Sérgio Paulinho, Yaroslav Popovych and Haimar Zubeldia. Irizar will be making his Tour debut, although he has ridden numerous Giri d’Italia and Vueltas a España, but the other four have been fixtures of Bruyneel’s Tour teams for a number of years; riding in support of both Armstrong and Contador.
Riders from the long-list who have missed out – besides Rosseler, who is injured – are Jason McCartney, Robbie McEwen, Robbie Hunter, Geoffroy Lequatre and Grégory Rast. McCartney recently emphasised his credentials with a long solo break in the Dauphiné; Robbie McEwen is a twelve-time stage winner and a three-time green jersey winner at the Tour, although his best years are admittedly behind him; Hunter has also taken a Tour stage; Rast was an integral part of Contador’s 2009 and 2010 Tour wins; while Lequatre is the team’s one French rider.
All five will doubtless be disappointed to have been overlooked.
"The hardest part has been to disappoint some non-selected riders,” said Bruyneel. “It is obvious that we will tackle this 2011 Tour de France with podium contenders. We are aware we won't win mass sprints this Tour but we decided that a good GC will be worth it and we make it our main goal in this Tour.
"As we do every year, the Directors and I carefully evaluate all the riders in contention,” he explained. “It’s never an easy decision for us to make, but in the end, we feel confident that the chosen riders will help us achieve our goals for the 2011 Tour de France.”
Bruyneel will be joined by team sports directors Dirk Demol and Alain Gallopin.
Team Radioshack for the Tour de France:
Janez Brajkovic, Chris Horner, Markel Irizar, Andreas Klöden, Levi Leipheimer, Dmitriy Muravyev, Sérgio Paulinho, Yaroslav Popovych and Haimar Zubeldia