Voigt to return at Tour of Missouri

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German Jens Voigt will return to racing at the Tour of Missouri, seven weeks after he crashed in the Tour de France. He will co-captain Denmark's team Saxo Bank with Swede Gustav Erik Larsson.

"It is not going to be like the Tour de France, you have big, wide American roads. There is plenty of space," Voigt told Cyclingnews.

"I expect with the moderate condition that I have, I can finish the race in a decent way. I want to find my rhythm, come back to racing and show myself and the world that I can still function [as a bike racer]."

Voigt crashed in the final kilometres of the Tour de France's stage 16 to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, on July 16. He fractured his cheekbone and jaw.

He passed a month without riding his bike, but now is riding three hours a day and gradually building the intensity level.

"It was hard to see the races go on without me, I tried to enjoy the time off the bike with my kids and with my parents," said Voigt. "I went to see the team in Hamburg [Vattenfall Cyclassics - ed.] to show them I am still here and my face is no longer swollen."

Voigt ruled out being in sufficient form to race the World Championships, September 27. He said he will consider racing one-day classics Paris-Bourges and Paris-Tours in October, depending on how he feels after Missouri.

USA's Jason McCartney, Swede Marcus Ljungqvist, Argentinean Juan José Haedo, Denmark's Chris Anker Sørensen, Nicki Sørensen Sorensen and Lars Bak will join Voigt and Larsson at the Tour of Missouri. Saxo Bank has yet to name the rider to complete eight-man team.

The 3rd Tour of Missouri stars September 7 in St. Louis and ends September 13 in Kansas City. USA's Christian Vande Velde won the race in 2008.

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