Perdiguero as mountain support for Landis

Miguel Angel Martin Perdiguero will be taking part in his first Tour de France, the 33 year-old Spaniard being selected on the basis of his strong performances at such classics and tours such as the Vuelta a Pais Vasco and the Tour de Romandie. For the last couple of years, Perdiguero enjoyed several days of holidays while his teammates battled it out in the tour. Although he had never watched the season highlight live and in person, as a young boy he tried to emulate Pedro Delgado, the Spanish rider who won the Tour de France in 1988.

This year, Perdiguero himself is part of the Tour retinue. "That means that the team management and Floyd Landis are satisfied with me. That's a great feeling," he said.

Perdiguero's goal is to repay Landis's trust by supporting him as best as possible. "We have to take Floyd Landis over the mountains," he said.