Saxo Bank optimistic for Tour Down Under

Team Saxo Bank thinks it has good chances in the premiere ProTour race of the 2009 season, the Tour Down Under. Directeur Sportif Kim Andersen said the team offers several contenders for the overall win.

"The riders we've chosen for the line-up have all been training specifically for this race and several of them are at a level where they could easily be contenders for the victory," he said on the team's website, riis-cycling.com.

The Danish team will be led by two Australians, Stuart O'Grady and Matt Goss, who "have an obvious advantage because they've been able to train down here." They will be joined by Jens Voigt, who is known for his aggressive riding and frequent escape attempts. "I know that Jens Voigt has worked really hard as well and that means anything can happen really," Andersen noted.

The six-stage race, which runs from January 20 – 25, is normally one for the sprinters. "This particular race often gets decided via bonus seconds or because a break is allowed off on one of the tougher stages," Andersen said. "Regardless, the recipe is the same for us: We need to be where the action is!"(SW)