Tinkoff, BMC for Ruta del Sol, Etixx-Quickstep for Oman
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Mark Cavendish has a look at his new trophy(Image credit: Getty Images)
Roman Kreuziger (Tinkoff)(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Rafal Majka and Vincenzo Nibali.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Dan Martin keeps the polka-dot jersey(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Mark Cavendish built up some good bike karma on Sunday. The Dimension Data rider was spotted helping out a fellow cyclist who punctured while out training and was having trouble changing the tube.
Twitter user Zahra Damji captured the moment in Tottenham Hale. Francesca Cutts later replied, owning up to getting the assist from the recent Tour of Qatar winner while she was out training in the north of London, saying she was trying to fix the puncture when Cavendish drove by with his wife Peta Todd, stopped and jumped out to give assistance.
Majka, Kreuziger lead Tinkoff team in Ruta del Sol
Rafal Majka and Roman Kreuziger will lead the Tinkoff team at the upcoming Vuelta a Andalucia - Ruta Ciclista del Sol. The two contenders will be supported by Daniele Bennati, Manuele Boaro, Oscar Gatto, Nikolay Trusov and Jay McCarthy.
Directeur sportif Bruno Cenghialta says the two are in good condition and have strong chances at the overall classification. "They will both come from a training camp, Majka in Sierra Nevada and Kreuziger in Gran Canaria, and right now we can't distinguish between the two in terms of form."
"Obviously, once the race gets going, the strongest of the two will receive the support of the squad. However, we will also have to check who our adversaries are and in what form they will take to the start of the race.
"An individual time-trial is on schedule for the fourth stage where our focus will again be on Majka and Kreuziger. In my opinion, the overall result could be decided there. The race will close with the fifth stage that features a summit finish at the Alto Peñas Blancas, a 16km climb with an 6% average incline. Without any previous, tough intermediate climbs that could create big gaps, I still see a group of 8-10 riders coming together at the finish. This year, there isn't a hard climb that would give one rider the opportunity to build an important advantage and the time bonuses at the finish will be more important."
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Tinkoff for Vuelta a Andalucia: Rafal Majka, Roman Kreuziger, Daniele Bennati, Manuele Boaro, Oscar Gatto, Nikolay Trusov and Jay McCarthy.
Etixx-Quickstep for Tour of Oman
Etixx-Quickstep brings an already warmed up team to the Tour of Oman, with Gianluca Brambilla, Daniel Martin and Stijn Vandenbergh already putting wins on their 2016 palmares. They will be joined by Bob Jungels, Laurens De Plus, Gianni Meersman, Iljo Keisse and Guillaume Van Keirsbulck.
Directeur sportif Rik van Slycke says: “It’s always very important to win early in the year, because this generates a certain emulation in the team and gives an even bigger motivation to the guys. We are happy with the start we’ve enjoyed so far and here we want to continue on this road.
“The course is perfect for the climbers – with the Green Mountain in the menu and small climbs not far off the finish in some of other days – and we have a couple of riders who can attack in order to try and get the victory. I’m talking here of Daniel Martin and Bob Jungels, who’re both coming from Valenciana, where they displayed a good and improving form. Besides them, we also have Gianluca Brambilla, who proved in Mallorca what he’s capable of, and even Laurens De Plus; he is young, but has some very good climbing skills. Gianni Meersman will also be there, and with his condition improving, he could get involved in some stages, while Iljo Keisse, Stijn Vandenbergh and Guillaume Van Keirsbulck will be ready to support our leaders."
Etixx-Quickstep for Tour of Oman: Gianluca Brambilla, Laurens De Plus, Iljo Keisse, Bob Jungels, Dan Martin, Gianni Meersman, Stijn Vandenbergh and Guillaume Van Keirsbulck.
BMC Racing for Ruta del Sol
Fresh off success in the Vuelta a Murcia, the BMC Racing Team is keeping its winning formula for the upcoming Ruta Ciclista del Sol. Tejay van Garderen, Brent Bookwalter, Darwin Atapuma, Ben Hermans, Samuel Sanchez, and Damiano Caruso will stick together with Philippe Gilbert after delivering the Belgian to the win on Saturday.
"We are going in with Tejay van Garderen as team leader. After three sprinters' stages we have a 21 kilometer time trial on stage 4 and then the uphill finish on the final stage, so I think the General Classification will be decided on the last two days. We have a strong team as we saw in Murcia and Tejay is motivated for the overall win," BMC Racing Team Sports Director, Valerio Piva said.
