Sebastian Langeveld (Garmin Sharp) drives the pace (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Sebastian Langeveld will show his new red-white and blue national jersey in the Tour de France after his maiden Dutch national road race win. "I am on the shortlist of the team that hasn't been announced yet but you will see this jersey in July," the Garmin-Sharp rider told Cyclingnews.
The 29-year old took his first national title in Ootmarsum on Sunday after three podium spots and a total of seven top ten positions in the past ten years. "You could say this is a finally," he said after the finish.
The jersey will be one of many new national champions in the Tour de France peloton. For Langeveld going to France is for one reason only and that is to assist his captain Andrew Talansky. The American won the Criterium du Dauphiné three weeks ago and is ready for a great result in the Tour.
As a Classics specialist Langeveld eyes the fifth stage to Arenberg which includes the cobbles featured in Paris-Roubaix. His experience on that terrain might prove valuable for his captain but also offers Langeveld a chance to become the first Dutch Tour de France stage winner since Pieter Weening in 2005.
"Maybe," he said. "But my first job is to guide Andrew over the cobbles. After that we'll see what the possibilities are.
Langeveld's best stage position in the Tour de France was 21st in the 8th stage in 2008. Apart from a 'maybe' on the fifth stage, he doesn't seem to see many possibilities for personal success this year either.
"The tougher stages on the hillier terrain are for riders like [world champion] Rui Costa, not really for me," he commented realistically.
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Garmin-Sharp has five Dutch riders on the roster with Langeveld, Tom-Jelte Slagter, Raymond Kreder, Dylan van Baarle and Thomas Dekker. Two of them will ride this year's Tour de France: Langeveld and Slagter.
"We have a strong Dutch group in the team. Today, Tom-Jelte told me he wanted to ride for me because I helped him well throughout the season. I was instrumental to his stage wins in Paris-Nice and also in the Amstel Gold Race. He wanted to do something back today and that characterizes him as a rider and as a person."
Apart from the two Dutch riders Andrew Talansky and David Millar have also been confirmed for the team which will be announced in its entirety on Monday.
