Lance Armstrong’s new RadioShack racing team is getting ready to ride.
Team manager Johan Bruyneel announced a 26-rider lineup for 2010 on Monday, including Armstrong’s former Astana teammates Levi Leipheimer, Andreas Kloeden and Yaroslav Popovych.
Armstrong, a seven-time Tour de France champion, came out of retirement to race the 2009 tour with Astana and finished third at age 37, making him the second-oldest rider to make the podium.
But there was friction with teammate and race winner Alberto Contador, and Armstrong struck out to form his own team where he could be the lead rider again. Bruyneel directed all of Armstrong’s seven tour victories and was with Astana in 2009.
RadioShack draws riders from 16 countries, and Bruyneel called it a good mix of experience and youth.
Kloeden finished sixth at the 2009 Tour de France. Leipheimer was in fourth after 12 stages when he broke his wrist and had to withdraw. Also joining RadioShack from Astana is Haimar Zubeldia.
“Our main goal will be the Tour de France and other stage races, but I am confident that, with these riders, we can perform very well in the one-day races as well,” Bruyneel said.
The team has scheduled a two-week training camp in Tucson, Ariz. in December. It is scheduled to make its racing debut at the 2010 Tour Down Under in Australia.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment