Getränke Hoffman debuts in women's Tour de France

By Susan Westemeyer

Tina Liebig will go into her first Route de France Feminine as captain for Team Getränke Hoffman in its debut in the race. The seven-stage race starts with a prologue on August 11, and runs from Fecamp to Vittel, where it ends on August 18.

"Tina has ridden very strongly in the last few weeks, has sacrificed herself for her team-mates and still managed to bring in good placings for herself," said Directeur Sportif Torsten Wittig. "Even though the French Tour is a premiere for Tina, she carries our hopes for a top place in the GC."

The 27 year-old is counting on her team-mates for support. "For France, I hope that we can continue the good work of the last few weeks," she said. "We all have the capability of going in escape groups and aiming for top results. In the end we will see who has the best reserves in the mountains and can get a top ten placing in the tour."

Getränke Hoffman for the Route de France Feminine: Tina Liebig, Stephanie Pohl, Sandra Missbach, Christina Becker, Natalie Bates, and Elke Gebhardt.