Sarah Duster (Nederland Bloeit) (Image credit: Bert Geerts/dcp-bertgeerts@xs4all.nl)
Sarah Düster is excited about the prospect of racing in Rabobank colours in 2012. The 29-year-old German will form part of a strong squad that includes Marianne Vos, Roxanne Knetemann, Lauren Kitchen and World Cup winner, Annamiek Van Vleuten.
Rabobank took over sponsorship duties from Nederland Bloeit at the end of the season and although the majority of the team left, a strong nucleus remained with Vos, Duster and Van Vleuten.
"It's only Annamiek and Marianne, the rest of the riders are new. We've got our first team meeting at the end of November and it's really exciting from the rider's point of view," Duster told Cyclingnews.
"I'm so happy because it means I can stay with the team. I like racing with Marianne because she's a great rider and we're not only teammates but friends, so we like to win together."
"We're a strong team. Some strong riders are coming and some young riders as well. We've got a blend of youth and experience. Like the men's team, Rabobank only sign strong riders. We're not the strongest team in the peloton but we're going to be very competitive."
Although the details of the team's race programme are yet to be finalised, Duster is already pinpointing the Classics as her major objectives. Selection for the Olympics will be a tough ask but she is determined to aim as high as possible.
"My goals are still the Classics but of course the Olympics and the Worlds are also important for a rider like me."
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Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.
