Greg Henderson returns to the TD Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championships with a sprint-heavy Columbia Highroad team. The New Zealander won the event in 2006 but this time he is back to help lead out his teammate André Greipel into a bunch sprint victory.
"We will be working for Greipel tomorrow," Henderson said. "When he and Cavendish are at the race, that's usually what we do. I think how the sprint finish plays out really depends on how the rest of the race goes. There is no reason why we couldn't have a full team lead-out for Greipel tomorrow at the finish."
The Columbia-Highroad fast men include Henderson and Greipel along with Bernhard Eisel, Edvald Boasson Hagen and Vincente Reynes to make for a hard-to-beat lead-out train. Riders who will be vying for breakaways include Marco Pinotti and Gert Dockx.
"A lot of bike races we go to we have the strongest team on paper," Henderson said. "We have a number of sprinters here who can line up the finish and we have a few options for riders who can ride a break away so I think it is a well-rounded team this weekend."
Ina Yoko-Teutenberg flew over to America with the sole purpose of winning the women's Liberty Classic. The German sprinter is a three-time winner of the former Triple Crown Series. The two events held prior to the showcased event in Philly were cancelled due to lack of funding.
"I was happy about having three days of racing to travel over here for it in the last few years," said Teutenberg. "I was happy to win the series title, too, but honestly the Liberty Classic was always the most important. We want to win on Sunday."
Teutenberg last competed in the French event Tour de L'Aude held in mid-May followed by a short break from competing to prepare for the Liberty Classic. "I didn't do races like the Tour of Montreal this year because it is a lot after a race like L'Aude. This year I want a few breaks in between races."
