Saunier Duval Prodir team manager Joxean "Matxin" Fernandez has confirmed his line-up for the Tour de France and has commented briefly on the ambitions of each of the nine riders selected:
Angel Gomez Marchante: "He is the rider for the future. I can imagine him wearing the white jersey in the Tour! Angel is very strong and raced an excellent Dauphiné; he even gave shivers to the favourites!"
Constantino Zaballa: "He was already very impressive in the classics. He is a rider who likes to work and has a strong fighting spirit. His goal at the Tour is a stage victory!"
Juan Manuel Garate: "The specialist in big tours, Garate is a very experienced rider who raced an amazing Giro, finishing fifth. His goal is the general classification."
Nicolas Fritsch: "The Frenchy of the team! It's clear that Nicolas' biggest goal of the season is the Tour; he trained very hard in the mountains and raced a good Dauphiné as well."
Iñigo Cuesta: "Inigo is a perfect team-mate and will surely help Marchante win a stage! He recently won a stage of the Tour of Catalunya."
David Cañada: "David will also hope for a stage victory. He is really strong at the time trial and could also be part of some escapes... "
Chris Horner: "Chris just came back to competition at the Tour de Suisse after a broken leg; he won the sixth stage and finished fifth on GC. He is physically and mentally at the top for the Tour."
Leonardo Piepoli: "Leonardo is one of the best climbers in the world. He recently won a stage at the Tour of Catalunya and feels very good. Expect him to be fast in the mountains."
Manuel Quinziato: "Manuel is a very powerful rider and feels very good at the moment. He finished sixth at the Italian time trial championships."
