Columbia-High Road unveils its new colours

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Each were the most successful team in the world in 2008,(Image credit: Shane Stokes)

Focusing on a friendly, family-like approach rather than the glitzy presentations favoured by T-Mobile in years past, Columbia High Road introduced its 2009 team to the media on Saturday. As was the case with T-Mobile, the launch was held in the Club Robinson resort on the east side of Majorca. However this time the large theatre and charter-jet full of journalists was passed up in favour of that more intimate setup.

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Columbia High Road won from the start until the end of the season in 2008, and it is planning on doing the same again. Because of that, not all of its riders were present; for example, Michael Rogers has just taken the team's first victory of the year by winning the Australian time trial championships. He, Adam Hansen and Mark Renshaw will ride the road race on Sunday, while the German rider Judith Arndt took advantage of the open nature of those champs to compete in Saturday's women's race. Other riders such as George Hincapie are preparing for their own imminent start of competition.

"Cycling has changed a little bit and the season no longer begins in March and April. We have big races now in January and February," explained Bob Stapleton, team owner. "We have got an exciting group of athletes here but we also have a number who are already out and who are making final preparations for racing. We have got a very strong team in the Tour Down Under, and they are down in Australia right now. That includes George Hincapie, that includes André Greipel, who along with his team-mates dominated that race last year, winning five of the six stages, and also Adam Hansen and Michael Rogers."

Even with those absentees, plus others such as Ina-Yoko Teutenberg and Mara Abbott who are also not in Majorca, there were a large number of riders presented to the media. The men's team is 25 strong, while there are eleven women in 2009. Of those 36, a surprising 21 are 26 years of age or younger. Combine that with the number of victories taken last year, and it's clear that many of the brightest young talents in cycling will be kitted out this year in the new-look yellow and white team kit.

The new signings to the men's squad are Michael Albasini (28, Italy), Gert Dockx (20, Belgium), Maxime Monfort (25, Belgium) and Mark Renshaw (26, Australia). The women's squad has two new signees, namely world scratch race champion Ellen Van Dijk (21, Netherlands) and Canadian champ Alex Wrubleski (24). Many others return from last season, including big names such as Kim Kirchen, Mark Cavendish and world time trial champion Bert Grabsch on the men's side, plus Arndt and Teutenberg for the women.

Apart from the riders themselves, there are a couple of significant changes in 2009. The most obvious is that redesigned team kit. Last year the then-High Road team started competing with a black kit, then changed to a white design before settling on blue after Columbia signed on as title sponsors. This time round, the riders will be wearing yellow and white. Stapleton explained the change and what it symbolises.

So there are changes, but what persists is the team spirit. Last season Columbia showed superb teamwork, with victories such as Mark Cavendish's four stage wins in the Tour de France being made possible with the help of others. The fact that many are involved in success such as those Grand Tour victories, or Judith Arndt's World Cup title, plus the overall victories in the Deutschland Tour, the Tour of Ireland, the Tour de Georgia, the Route de France and the Sachsen Tour is something that appeals to Stapleton and which is emphasised by him.

"I am quite proud of not only the success the team has had, but how it has been achieved," he said. "Always you see the guy crossing the line with the arms in the air, but in this team all these victories have been earned through good effort by everybody. The riders who have sacrificed their chances for victory, the staff that have made sure the bikes were ready, the food was ready, the kits were ready and that they work well together."

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