With designs on dominating the world of cycling the newly formed cycling team, 'Radioshack Nissan Trek', was officially unveiled to the watching media at glittering ceremony in Esch-sur-Altzette, Luxembourg, on Friday (January 6).
Given that their stella roster of cycling talent includes Fabian Cancellara, Chris Horner, Andreas Kloeden, Andy Schleck, Fr�nk Schleck and team manager Johan Bruyneel the team is expected to challenge for honours at this years most prestigious cycling race, the Tour de France.
SUGGESTED VOICEOVER:
The newly formed cycling team 'Radioshack Nissan-Trek' was presented at a glittering ceremony at the Rockhal venue in Esch-sur-Altzette, Luxembourg, on Friday.
The team boats a stella roster of cycling talent, which includes Fabian Cancellara, Chris Horner, Andreas Kloeden, Andy Schleck, Fr�nk Schleck and team manager Johan Bruyneel.
As with any high profile cycling team the aims of the newly formed unit are simple.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"So it is definitely our ambition to win the Tour de France. Having said that, it is not our only ambition. I think with this team we have built a group of riders that can be competitive on all fronts from the spring classics to the big tours to the after-season."
SUPER CAPTION: Johan Bruyneel, General Manager
It is a view that is reiterated by team rider Andy Schleck, who finished second in the Tour de France in 2010 and finished with the white jersey for the third consecutive year.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I think no. I am not going to step back. I want to win the Tour. I don't want to go back and start the Giro and then see if maybe I can reach the level to win the Tour. I don't know, if I will never win the Tour, maybe I might choose the Vuelta or Giro for one year. But for now the goal is - and stays like it was last year - go for the Tour. And that has priority, because I mean Giro is a beautiful race as well as the Vuelta, but for nothing for the whole world of cycling it is not the Tour de France and it will never be."
SUPER CAPTION: Andy Schleck, Team Rider
For American Chris Horner, who has dominated the the American road racing scene in the past by winning the points standings in the 2002, 2003 and 2004 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar - it seems the appointment is the next step in his career.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I was quite excited when I saw this team merge together. To ride the Tour de France with a team of this statue, with this kind of pressure and this ability to win the Tour de France is going to be a fantastic experience in what has already been a long career for me."
SUPER CAPTION: Chris Horner, Team Rider
Team General Manager Johan Bruyneel was certainly in bullish mood at the launch, although was wary of comparing the newly formed team to those that have enjoyed such success in the past.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"At the same time cycling is a sport and it depends on a lot of other things than just the quality and the potential. But I am confident that we can be the best cycling team in the world, definitely."
(Question: Ever?)
"Ever?... that is difficult to say, because I think you cannot compare eras."
SUPER CAPTION: Johan Bruyneel, General Manager
Schleck was also eager to underline the pedigree of the team and was quick to underline the depth of talent in the team.
SOUNDBITE (English)
"On paper we are really strong and I believe how it looks now we going to be really good on the road as well. And I mean that will be our key, that we are a lot of riders who are on a top level in a big race."
SUPER CAPTION: Andy Schleck, Team Rider
The team's first race will be the Santos Tour Down Under in Adelaide, Australia from January 15-22, 2012.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
RADIOSHACK NISSAN TREK 2012
30 riders, 14 nationalities
Jan Bakelants (BEL)
Climber and Tour de l'Avenir winner.
Daniele Bennati (ITA)
51 professional victories, including 10 Grand Tour stages.
George Bennett (NZL)
Tour of Wellington winner and a stagiaire instrumental in Team RadioShack 2011 victories in Tour of Utah and USA Pro Cycling Challenge.
Matthew Busche (USA)
2011 USA Pro Champion.
Fabian Cancellara (SUI)
Olympic and four-time World TT Champion, National Road (2x) and TT (4x) Champion, winner of Paris-Roubaix (2x), Tour of Flanders, Milan-Sanremo, E3-Prijs Harelbeke (2x) and 9 Grand Tour stages. Overall winner Tirreno-Adriatico and Tours of Switzerland, Denmark and Oman.
Laurent Didier (LUX)
Podium placings in 2011 National Road and TT Championships.
Jakob Fuglsang (DEN)
Three-time Overall winner Tour of Denmark, Overall winner Tour of Slovenia. 2010 National TT Champion. 2007 U23 World Champion Mountain Bike Cross Country.
Tony Gallopin (FRA)
2011 Coupe de France winner. Pro stage wins in Tours of Luxembourg and Limousin, U23 Paris-Tours winner and bronze medals at Junior World TT and Road Championships.
Linus Gerdemann (GER)
Stage winner (and yellow jersey) in Tour de France, Overall winner Tours of Luxembourg, Germany, Ain and Bayern.
Ben Hermans (BEL)
2011 silver medalist National TT Championships and winner Trofeo Inca. 2010 queen stage winner Tour of Belgium. 2004 Junior National TT champion.
Chris Horner (USA)
2011 Tour of California Champion, winner of 18 professional stage races.
Markel Irizar (ESP)
2011 Tour of Andalucia Overall winner.
Ben King (USA)
2010 National Road Race Champion after winning in the same year the U23 Road and Criterium Titles as well. 2007 Junior National Road and TT Champion.
Andreas Kl�den (GER)
Two-time Tour de France runner-up and overall winner of Paris-Nice, Tirreno-Adriatico, Tour de Romandie and Tour of the Basque Country (2x).
Tiago Machado (POR)
National TT Champion 2009 (elite) and 2006 (U23). 2007 U23 National Road Champion. Finished ten times in top ten stage races in his two years at Team RadioShack.
Maxime Monfort (BEL)
2009 National TT Champion. Overall winner Tour du Luxembourg. Impressive 6th place in 2011 Tour of Spain.
Giacomo Nizzolo (ITA)
Sprinter. 2011 stage winner Bayern Rundfahrt, beating Degenkolb and Boasson Hagen.
Nelson Oliveira (POR)
Four-time and current National TT Champion. Silver medal at U23 World TT Championship (2009) and U23 European Road Championship (2010)
Yaroslav Popovych (UKR)
Indispensable teammate in the mountains as well as classics specialist. White jersey Tour de France 2005, 3rd Overall in Tour of Italy, 2001 U23 World Champion and U23 Paris-Roubaix winner.
Joost Posthuma (NED)
Overall winner Tour du Luxembourg, Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde, Tour of Andalucia, Sachsen Tour and stage winner Paris-Nice.
Gregory Rast (SUI)
Three-time National Road Champion and 2007 Tour du Luxembourg winner
Thomas Rohregger (AUT)
Tour of Austria winner. Instrumental in 2011 Tour of Spain success of Monfort and Fuglsang.
Hayden Roulston (NZL)
Silver and bronze medalist 2008 Olympic Games (pursuit and team pursuit). 2011 and 2006 national road champion.
Andy Schleck (LUX)
Three-time runner-up Tour de France (three-times stage winner (Morzine, Tourmalet and Galibier), runner-up Tour of Italy and winner Li�ge-Bastogne-Li�ge. National Road (2x) and TT Champion.
Fr�nk Schleck (LUX)
3rd Overall 2011 Tour de France. Winner of Amstel Gold Race, Tour of Switzerland, Tour of Luxembourg, Crit�rium International and two Tour de France stages (Alpe d'Huez and Le Grand-Bornand). Three-time National Road Champion. Seven podium placings in classics.
Jesse Sergent (NZL)
In his first year as pro rider Overall winner of the Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen, the Tour du Poitou-Charentes and the Eneco Tour TT. 2010 silver medalist of the World Pursuit Championships. Bronze medalist at the 2008 Summer Olympics (team pursuit).
Jens Voigt (GER)
81 professional victories, including 16 stage races like Crit�rium International (5x), Deutschland Tour (2x) and Tour of Poland. Winner of 2 stages in the Tour de France and 1 stage in the Tour of Italy.
Robert Wagner (GER)
2011 German national champion.
Oliver Zaugg (SUI)
2011 Tour of Lombardy winner. Instrumental in 2011 Tour of Spain success of Monfort and Fuglsang.
Haimar Zubeldia (ESP)
Finished in the top ten in four Grand Tours.
General Manager: Johan Bruyneel
Team Directors: Kim Andersen, Jos� Azevedo, Dirk Demol, Alain Gallopin, Luca Guercilena & Lars Michaelsen
