Climber and time trial specialist look to help team win Tour de France
Oliver Zaugg (Gerolsteiner) was happy with his ride. (Image credit: maillot oro)
Switzerland's Oliver Zaugg and Joost Posthuma of the Netherlands have joined the Luxembourg Pro Cycling Project for 2011. The team announced the signings of the Swiss climber and the Dutch time trial specialist early Tuesday morning.
The team was awarded a four-year ProTeam licence on Monday evening.
Zaugg, 29, spent the last two years at Liquigas-Doimo. “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,” Zaugg said. “To participate in our team’s biggest goals is certainly my top priority for this coming season!”
"Oliver is someone who is always reliable in the mountains,” said team manager 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,” Nygaard said. “He has already proved himself to be strong in stage races, and he hasn’t even hit his limit; he’s a rider with a lot of promise.”
"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,” Zaugg said.
Posthuma, 29, is an allrounder who can do a strong time trial. He has been with Rabobank his whole career to date.
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"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,” Nygaard said. “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.”
Posthuma explained his goals for the coming year: “Personally, I want to have success in the Spring Classics and aim for shorter stage races which include time trials. 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.”
