Fuglsang to choose soon from amongst three offers for 2013
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Michael Morkov (Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank) remains in the lead of the mountains classification.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Mountains classification leader Michael Morkov (Saxo Bank) was part of a three-man break on stage 2(Image credit: Sirotti)
Jakob Fuglsang (Den) RadioShack-Nissan takes another yellow jersey at the Int. Österreich-Rundfahrt-Tour of Austria(Image credit: Mario Stiehl)
Matti Breschel (Rabobank)(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Michael Mørkøv likes the idea of riding with fellow Danes Matti Breschel and Jakob Fuglsang again, and hopes that the two return to Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank in the coming season. However, Fuglsang has several suitors for his hand, and the only certainty is he will change teams for the 2013 season.
Mørkøv, who has been in numerous escape groups in his debut Tour de France and wore the mountain jersey for several stages, is not afraid of standing in the shadow of the other two, but instead looking forward to working with them.
"I would really like to team up with Matti. I rode for two years on teams with him and I never got to ride a big race with him. But I have ridden the Worlds with him, and he's a great captain, I would like to help.
"The same goes with Fuglsang, who is also a great captain, as I know from the Tour of Denmark," Mørkøv told the Ritzau news agency.
Mørkøv has been with Bjarne Riis' team since 2009. Breschel was with the team from 2005 to 2010, then he left for Rabobank. Fuglsang also left the team after 2010 to join Leopard-Trek, now RadioShack-Nissan.
The Danes should be together on one team, Mørkøv said. “I think that these two riders belong on this team. For it is the best cycling team, and they are two of the best cyclists. This is where they can show off.”
Three suitors for Fuglsang
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Three teams look to sign Fuglsang for the coming year, and according to his manager Moreno Nicoletti, the decision will be made this week.
Fuglsang has been publicly unhappy with RadioShack-Nissan this season, missing out on the Tour de France and also suing the team owners for non-payment.
Saxo Bank, Omega Pharma-QuickStep and Astana are the three teams in the race, with the Danish team looking to have the best chances. "Jakob's situation is as follows: 60 percent Riis, 30 percent Omega Pharma, 20 percent. Astana," Nicoletti told jyllands-posten.dk.
Astana team manger Giuseppe Martinelli told the website, “"We are definitely interested in him. We are as interested in him as the other teams are, but we have not made a final contract with him.
"We're looking for a rider who can perform well in the Tour, for the Giro next year we are already covered by riders. Jakob may be a captain in the Tour with Janez Brajkovič."
Martinelli's main argument may be that Fuglsang would face less competition at Astana for the role of Tour captain. "He's looking for a team that can make him a captain in the Tour, and we are looking for a captain. He deserves a team that can run on him in the Tour. If he goes to Saxo Bank, he must work for Contador."
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