The Santos Tour Down Under (TDU) 2010 is set to start on Sunday, and the waiting is just about done. Since July last year when Lance Armstrong announced the intent to form Team Radioshack (TRS), there’s been much anticipation of what this team will be about. In addition to the obvious focus on Armstrong, many people must be also wondering, how will these riders come together, as a team, as the race unfolds this week?
To be sure, some of the cyclists have raced together before – Lance Armstrong and Yaroslav Popovych were together on Team Astana last year, and also road together during the 2005 season under the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team. Jason McCartney was part of the 2005 Discovery team as well, and is one of the other veterans on the Team Radioshack squad that will climb on the saddle on Sunday in Adelaide.
Armstrong is surely the squad’s leader for this race, TRS’ debut on the ProTour. With many of the RadioShack’s executive and management team scheduled to be present during the six-day race, Armstrong has every motivation for himself and the team to set the tone for the season with good first performance.
Popovych, who’s been a loyal and consistent support rider to Armstrong in the past (but also with the well-roundness to be a squad leader himself) will fit nicely into the role that George Hincapie did in years past for Armstrong – super-domestique. Jason McCartney, a good climber, will have the chance to make big contributions during the uphill portions of the race, to keep his team leaders in good position by pulling them on the ascents.
Race director Mike Turtur, among others, has confirmed that the TDU 2010 is “lining up to be a big sprinters’ event”, as it has since gaining ProTour status in 2008. This scenario should suit the likes of another TRS rider, Gert Steegmans, rather well. Steegmans may be the best sprinter on the TRS squad for this race. Like fellow Belgian sprinter Tom Boonen, Steegmans has demonstrated he has the legs at the end of the race to put the hammer down in the final meters. He’ll also fit nicely as another super-domestique, riding close to the TRS leader as the race unfolds. If the pieces of the puzzle fall into place, he might even win a stage.
The other Belgian on the squad, Sebastien Rosseler, is a veteran of another ProTour team, Quick Step, from years past. A strong and well-respected rider, particularly in time trial contests, Rosseler’s enjoyed high place finishes, including stage wins, thus far in his career. He’ll have the chance to prove he can be a valuable support asset for The Shack as another super-domestique.
The TRS squad is rounded out nicely by two younger riders, Tomas Vaitkus and Daryl Impey. Vaitkus is another veteran from Astana 2009, who has had successful race finishes, including stage wins (like Rosseler). Impey is good all-around rider who has already won a coveted GC jersey in the Tour of Turkey last year while riding for Barloworld. Both cyclists will surely demonstrate their worth and make meaningful contributions to TRS’ efforts over the course of the week racing through south Australia. They’ll fit into the final, critical role of domestiques in race support to the team each day. Whether it be providing the draft to pull their teammates along, or shuttling food and fluids from support car to the other Shackers, Vaitkus and Impey will be key to TRS executing its race plan successfully.
Ready? Set? GO!
By Jeff Ludlum, staff writer
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The shack could be building a fortress. Eki and ACE in the management, Mc Cartney (if you can ever replace George??) replacing Hincappe, Popo the link and Lance still a contender. With Stegmans a solid lead out leaving raw new talent to come through in Vatikus and Impey, this could be the start of a cycling dynasty??? Lance and Joahn the fathers of modern cycyling???
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