World champion's presence will help in Classics and Tour team time trial
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Golden Fabian: Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland) on the podium after winning gold by more than a minute in the men's elite time-trial.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
An exhausted Fabian Cancellara after his Paris-Roubaix victory.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Fabian Cancellara awaits the start of stage four.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Fabian Cancellara's signing with the Luxembourg Pro Cycling Project was a recent decision and not a long-planned one, according to sport director Kim Andersen. The Dane denied rumours that the deal had been fixed for a while.
“No, it's only just recently that everything fell into place,” Andersen told the Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet. “It was not something we had anticipated from the start. He had a contract."
It was announced in September that Cancellara would leave Saxo Bank, although he still had a year on his contract with Bjarne Riis' team. It had long been rumoured that he would join the Luxembourg team, with the announcement of the three-year deal finally being made Tuesday afternoon.
Andersen, who like Cancellara and his future teammates Andy and Fränk Schleck came over to the new team from Saxo Bank, was happy with the signing. “It's great to have him on the team. He is both a great man and a great cyclist," he said.
Cancellara's presence will ensure the team is prominent in the Spring Classics, as he is the defending champion in both Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders. “Yes, now there is at least an even greater focus on the early Classics from our side. And it is also a huge plus in relation to the Tour de France, where there's been a team time trial. He is not exactly bad to have on the team for that," Andersen added.
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