The T-Mobile Team will take to the roads of Spain from Friday, April 22, for the Vuelta Ciclista a la Rioja (UCI. Cat. 2.1). With winning ambitions on the back burner, the magenta team is primarily using the low-key three day tour as training for the bigger races ahead.
"This race plays an important role in our ongoing preparations for ProTour races later in the season," commented T-Mobile Team sporting director Mario Kummer, who will be looking to Paco Lara to lead the T-Mobile challenge in the mountainous terrain. The Spanish climber will be joined in the wine producing area of Rioja by six other T-Mobile riders. Dutchman Bram Schmitz, King of the Mountains at last week's Vuelta a Aragon, Daniele Nardello and Erik Zabel will all be in action in north east Spain. Sprinter Eric Baumann and rookie pros Bas Giling and Marcus Burghardt complete the line up.
