T-Mobile to Qatar with newcomers

Team T-Mobile is taking four team newcomers to the Tour of Qatar this coming weekend, and they will be led by new Directeur Sportif Tristan Hoffman. One of them, Servais Knaven, will be the team captain, serving as Hoffman's "extended arm" and directing things on the road. "Knaven is the 'Boss'," Sporting Director Rolf Aldag said in the team's press release.

The team will be looking to newcomer Bernhard Eisel in the sprints. Eisel won a stage in Qatar last year, the only stage that Tom Boonen did not win. His principal lead-out man will be newcomer Greg Henderson. "Depending on the race situation, we may also ride for Greg," Hoffman noted.

The other newcomer on the squad is Bert Grabsch.

T-Mobile for Qatar: Eric Baumann, Marcus Burghardt, Bernhard Eisel, Bert Grabsch, Greg Henderson, Kim Kirchen, Andreas Klier, and Servais Knaven.