Rabobank has announced its selection of nine riders for this year's Tour de France. The nine riders will be Michael Boogerd, Bram de Groot, Thomas Dekker, Juan Antonio Flecha, Oscar Freire, Denis Menchov, Grischa Niermann, Michael Rasmussen and Pieter Weening.
Team managers Erik Breukink and Erik Dekker listed Theo Eltink and Koos Moerenhout as reserves.
In Rabobank's selection no less than six riders are former stage winners in the Tour de France: Michael Boogerd (1996 and 2002), Juan Antonio Flecha (2003), Oscar Freire (2002 and 2006 – two stages), Denis Menchov (2006), Michael Rasmussen (2005 and 2006) and Pieter Weening (2005). Menchov won the young rider classification of the 2003 Tour de France and Rasmussen was the 2005 and 2006 winner of the mountains classification.
Michael Boogerd is by far Rabobank's most experienced rider in the Tour de France. Boogerd will make his twelfth and final start in the Tour de France on July 7. In 1998, the Dutchman came in fifth; his best final result so far. In 2001, Boogerd also finished in the Tour's top ten. Denis Menchov's best result was his sixth place in the final classification in 2006.
All together, the nine riders of the Rabobank Cycling Team combine for the experience of 39 starts in the Tour de France so far. While, Thomas Dekker is the only first time starter in the Tour de France squad of Breukink and Dekker.
