Sastre tops Cervelo's Tour squad

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Carlos Sastre will lead the Cervelo TestTeam in the Tour de France. The Spaniard has been cleared by team doctors to ride the year's second Grand Tour.

Sastre revealed after the Giro d'Italia that he had injured in his back in numerous crashes in the Italian race. Earlier this month he was diagnosed with a herniated disc.

The Spaniard has had only limited racing this year, but finished eighth overall in the Giro, despite his back injury.

"I had problems with my back that reappeared after the crash in the Giro d’Italia," said Sastre, "but thanks to the physiotherapist and doctors I consulted, these problems have disappeared and lately I have been training without pain. I have another 12 days of preparation and will be fit at the start of the Tour de France.

"At 35 years, I have a lot of experience. I will use that experience during this 10th Tour de France for me. I will be at the start line with enthusiasm and high morale. It is a really hard race, but that is the challenge that every athlete likes."

Sastre's co-captain on the team will be Thor Hushovd, who will look to repeat his win of the green jersey in the Tour in 2009. The Norwegian also finished sixth in Milan-San Remo and second in Paris-Roubaix this season.

If Hushovd is unable to fight for the green jersey, his teammate Heinrich Haussler may go for it. The Australian-German will have recovered sufficiently from injuries suffered in the fourth stage of the Tour de Suisse to start in France, where he will once again face HTC-Columbia's Mark Cavendish,who he claims caused the crash. Haussler won the second stage in Switzerland.

The others on the squad are Xavier Florencio, Volodimir Gustov, Jeremy Hunt, Andreas Klier, Ignatas Konovalovas, and Brett Lancaster. The reserve rider is Daniel Lloyd.

Cervélo TestTeam for the Tour de France: Xavier Florencio, Volodimir Gustov, Heinrich Haussler, Jeremy Hunt, Thor Hushovd, Andreas Klier, Ignatas Konovalovas, Brett Lancaster, and Carlos Sastre.