The riders kept the audience entertained (Image credit: Casey Gibson/Garmin)
Fans waiting for the Garmin presentation in Boulder (Image credit: Casey Gibson/Garmin)
Garmin-Cervelo for 2012 (Image credit: Mark Johnson/www.ironstring.com)
Argyle abounds at the Garmin presentation (Image credit: Mark Johnson/www.ironstring.com)
Garmin-Cervelo is presented for 2012 (Image credit: Mark Johnson/www.ironstring.com)
The Garmin-Cervelo team onstage (Image credit: Mark Johnson/www.ironstring.com)
The Garmin-Cervelo team onstage (Image credit: Mark Johnson/www.ironstring.com)
Garmin for 2012 (Image credit: Mark Johnson/www.ironstring.com)
Dave Zabriskie entertains the audience (Image credit: Casey Gibson/Garmin)
The Ventura Theatre is full for the Garmin presentatin (Image credit: Casey Gibson/Garmin)
The (Image credit: Casey Gibson/Garmin)
Team CEO Jonathan Vaughters at the team presentation (Image credit: Casey Gibson/Garmin)
Christian Vande Velde sports argyle pants at the team presentation (Image credit: Casey Gibson/Garmin)
Presenting Garmin-Cervelo for 2012 (Image credit: Casey Gibson/Garmin)
Peter Stetina in argyle for the presentation (Image credit: Casey Gibson/Garmin)
David Millar has his say at the team presentation (Image credit: Casey Gibson/Garmin)
Alex Howe repeaed the arglye motif (Image credit: Casey Gibson/Garmin)
Jon Cassat, Garmin VP for Communications, at the team presentation (Image credit: Casey Gibson/Garmin)
Garmin VIP for Communictions Jon Cassat at the presentation (Image credit: Casey Gibson/Garmin)
Dave Zabriskie at the Garmin presentation (Image credit: Casey Gibson/Garmin)
Garmin-Cervélo rolled out its 2012 WorldTour squad in front of several hundred fans and sponsors at the Boulder Theater in Boulder, Colorado, officially naming Thomas Dekker to the top level team as a late addition, after much speculation. Also in under the wire is Alex Rasmussen, whose whereabouts violation case was dismissed by his federation today and who therefore has a valid contract.
The presentation gala featured a film by producer Nigel Dick, entitled "Journey to a Dream", which reiterated the Garmin-Cervélo team's mission: to develop talented riders, to win against 'bigger' squads through sacrifice and teamwork and to act as champions in the anti-doping movement.
The film introduced two of the original riders developed by Vaughters, Alex Howes and Peter Stetina, against a recap of the team's success of 2011, and was followed by a speech from Slipstream Sports CEO, Jonathan Vaughters, which outlined the team's "firsts".
The 30-rider team includes additions to the sprint trains, with Robbie Hunter returning to the squad, plus fast men Rasmussen, Koldo Fernandez and Fabian Wegmann. Belgian Sebastien Rosseler adds firepower in the time trial as well as Classics departments.
Young riders Nathan Haas and Jack Bauer will be given leeway to find their places in the team, but both are fast finishers, while Alex Howes, Jacob Rathe and Raymond Kreder move up from the team's Chipotle development squad.
The "island of misfit toys"
Some may see the signing of Dekker, who admitted to doping and who served a two-year suspension, as going against the team's anti-doping mission, but team manager Jonathan Vaughters told Cyclingnews that he is convinced that Dekker is committed to racing clean, and has the talent to succeed at the top level.
"We've done 18 months of testing on him to determine this," Vaughters said. "That included power tests every month and corresponding blood tests. His power should go up as
