AA Cycling Team announces 2008 line-up

Dutch women's team AA Cycling, sponsored by the popular sports drink of the same name, has finalized its roster for the 2008 season. Manager Michael Zijlaard reached agreements with the last three racers he was still in negotiations with this week. Belgian sports director Heidi van de Vijver will be especially happy to see the return of German Theresa Senff, who comes back to the team after spending one year with Team Hoffman in her native country. The climber will be reunited with coach Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel, with whom she worked together successfully in 2006.

New in the green and blue team will be 24 year-old Emma Johannson from Sweden, who finished sixth in the road race in the World Championships in Stuttgart. Also added was 26 year-old Belgian talent, Laure Werner.

Zijlaard was able to renegotiate all the contracts with the core of the Dutch/Belgian outfit. From the Netherlands there are dutch national road champion Marlijn Binnendijk, Irene van den Broek and Kirsten Wild. The Belgian side consists of Inge van den Broeck en Latoya Bruleé. 18 year-old talent Chantal Blaak also forms part of the 2008 team. The Dutch youngster won the national time trial championships in the junior ranks two years in a row, in 2006 and 2007.

The other rider that saw her contract extended was Pauline Brzezna (Poland). Earlier, AA Cycling team had already secured the services of Belgian road champion Ludivine Henrion, who moves over from the DSB Bank team.

Riders who will leave the team are Josephine Groenveld, Roxane Knetemann, Italian Tatiana Guderzo and Belgians Kathleen Sterckx, Karen Steurs and An van Rie.