Marcel Sieberg (Team Columbia - Highroad) rides with the snowcapped mountains in the background.(Image credit: Christophe Mury)
Michael Rogers (Team Columbia - Highroad) slipped from third to sixth overall after the time trial.(Image credit: Sirotti)
Mark Cavendish happy with teammate Eisel's win(Image credit: Edward Madden)
Nicolas Roche (AG2R La Mondiale) finishes ahead of Hayden Roulston (Cervelo TestTeam)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Matt Goss never contemplated a stage win at the start.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)
Gold jersey time for André Greipel (Columbia-HTC)(Image credit: Lavuelta.com)
Andre Greipel (Columbia-HTC) won the Vuelta's final stage.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Germany’s André Greipel will try to add a second Santos Tour Down Under title to his palmares in January, after his title defense earlier this year was hampered by an accident at the Australian race. Race director Mike Turtur announced Greipel’s return to the South Australian race as he revealed Columbia-HTC’s likely lineup.
“After Greipel’s mishap at the race this year we are pleased he will be back in South Australia,” said Turtur. “History shows that our race is a great start to Greipel’s season. In 2008 he took overall victory and this year started with a stage win in the 2009 Tour Down Under, and continued a winning form all season, with four stage wins at the Vuelta and a total of 20 victories.”
The opening months of Greipel’s season was ruined at Tour Down Under this year, with the rider forced to fly home after Stage 3 to have surgery on a broken collarbone. He was one of several riders to collide with a parked Police motorbike after being hammered by a gust of wind on the stage.
Greipel is expected to be joined by current Australian Time Trial Champion Michael Rogers in the American team’s lineup. Rogers competed in this year’s event and claimed the race’s overall victory in 2002.
Another Australian regular at the race, Mark Renshaw, will once again take part in the race, but this time he’ll have two new sprinters at his side. The team’s new signing Matthew Goss and Hayden Roulston, from Australia and New Zealand respectively, will contest the race as their first with Bob Stapleton’s team.
“Hayden will be an asset to the team, being an accomplished track rider having won the silver medal in the men’s 4000m individual pursuit and a bronze medal in the men’s 4000m team pursuit at the 2008 Beijing Olympics,” said Turtur, himself a former Olympic track gold medallist.
“Matthew came first in the Paris-Brussels one day race last month, an event that Robbie McEwen has taken victory in this event five times,” said Turtur.
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Team Columbia-HTC’s line-up for 2010 Tour Down Under: André Greipel (Ger), Michael Rogers (Aus), Bernhard Eisel (Aut), Mark Renshaw (Aus), Matthew Goss (Aus), Marcel Sieberg (Ger) and Hayden Roulston (NZl).
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