T-Mobile for E3-Prijs

The T-Mobile Team is sending its classics specialists into action at Saturday's E3-Prijs in Harelbeke, with last year's runner-up Andreas Klier spearheading the eight-man roster. Klier and Tom Boonen escaped with with 55 to go last year and were unable to be caught by a four man group that contained Peter Van Petegem, Nico Mattan, Erik Dekker, David Kopp, and Klier's teammate Steffen Wesemann.

"The race is a perfect warm-up and form-tester for the tough spring classics in Belgium," said T-Mobile Team sporting director Valerio Piva.

Klier, who showed at Milan-Sanremo that he is in good shape, lives and trains in Belgium so he will be able to count on a certain amount of 'local knowledge' Saturday: "The race practically passes by his front door, so he is particularly motivated for this one," added Piva.

Sergey Ivanov is another T-Mobile rider who has left his mark on Harelbeke in the past; the Belgian-based Russian won the event in 2000, and he will be aiming for a high placing again this year. Meanwhile, 2003 runner-up Steffen Wesemann, hopes that come Saturday he will be fully recovered from the cold that forced him to abandon Milan-Sanremo at the base of the Cipressa. "I am felling better again, even if I am still not at 100 percent," said Wesemann.

Rounding out the magenta roster at the E3-Prijs are Lorenzo Bernucci, Marcus Burghardt, Bas Giling, André Greipel und Stephan Schreck.

"The many cobbled passages take their toll," said Piva from experience. "You need patience and a bit of luck. If you suffer a mechanical at a critical moment, you've lost your place at the front."