2009 Tour Down Under - Spanish Armada Announced
Caisse d'Epargne - 2006 Tour Champ Oscar Pereiro & Sanchez Lead, Euskatel/Esuskadi, Fuji-Servetto, Rabobank 0 - Graeme Browne Returns to Defend Sprint Crown.

2006 Tour de France Champion headed Down Under
2006 Tour de France winner, Oscar Pereiro, will make event history when he takes to the start line of the 2009 Tour Down Under. The Caisse d’Epargne rider will join Lance Armstrong for the race marking the first time two Tour de France winners have competed in the Tour Down Under.

“The Tour Down Under is honoured to have Pereiro and Armstrong competing at our event,” said Mike Turtur, Tour Down Under Race Director. “Spectators in Adelaide will get to see some of the best cycling champions of our time. It’s a great coup for the sport in this region and highlights the continued growth of the Tour Down Under.”

Oscar Pereiro took overall honours in the 2006 Tour de France, and placed tenth in the 2004 Tour de France behind overall winner Lance Armstrong.

Mike Turtur believes the Caisse d’Epargne team travelling to the 2009 Tour Down Under is a cycling powerhouse, with a strong history of victories and cycling achievements. “A Tour de France winner, a Tour Down Under winner, and stage winners from the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia are all part of the Caisse d’Epargne team heading here next year,” said Mike Turtur.

Luis Leon Sanchez will return to the Tour Down Under with the Caissed’Epargne team.  “Australians embraced Luis Leon Sanchez as a crowd favourite when he won the Tour Down Under in 2005, and I think he’ll put in a strong performance again in 2009.”

The 2008 Tour Down Under Share the Road Young Rider winner, Jose Rojas, will also return to the race.

Caisse d’Epargne
Oscar Pereiro (ESP)
Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP)
Jose Rojas (ESP)
Pablo Lastras (ESP)
Nicolas Portal (FRA)
Imanol Erviti (ESP)
Mathieu Drujon (FRA)
Team Manager - Neil Stephens (AUS)

Spanish teams confirmed for Tour Down Under
The Euskaltel-Euskadi (ESP) team and new UCI ProTour team Fuji-Servetto (ESP) will add to the list of Spanish riders competing at next year’s Tour Down Under.

Mike Turtur, Race Director of the Tour Down Under, said Spanish teams have a strong and successful cycling history. “The Euskaltel-Euskadi and Fuji-Servetto teams are welcome additions to the already talented rider and team line-up for the event,” said Turtur.

Veteran Daniele Nardello joined the Fuji-Servetto team in 2008 after a career with professional teams, Mapei, T-Mobile Team, Team LPR and most recently Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni. Nardello began his cycling career in 1994.

“Nardello was the 2001 Italian road race champion and in 1998 had a Tour de France stage win,” said Mike Turtur.

Australian rider Will Walker will return to the Tour Down Under after finishing 17th overall at the 2008 event when riding for the Rabobank team. “Will was the 2006 U23 Australian road race champion, giving him a great start to his professional cycling career," said Turtur. "He is a young and very talented rider."

The Euskaltel – Euskadi team is commercially sponsored and works as an unofficial Basque representative team, partly funded by the Basque Government.

Fuji-Servetto team
Daniele Nardello (ITA)
Ermanno Capelli (ITA)
Angel Gomez (ESP)
Javier Megias (ESP)
Davide Vigano (ITA)
William Walker (AUS)
Ivan Dominquez (USA)
Team Manager - Alvaro Crespi (ITA)

Euskaltel-Euskadi team:
Josu Agirre (ESP)
Pablo Urtasun Pablo (ESP)
Inaki Isasi (ESP)
Andonu Lafuente (ESP)
Markel Irizar (ESP)
Sergio De Lis (ESP)
Aitor Herhandez (ESP)
Team Manager - Josu Larrazabal (ESP)

Rabobank to contend for race honours at Tour Down Under
Graeme Brown Leads Dutch Team
An Australian and Dutch line-up from the Rabobank team aims to make their mark at the 2009 Tour Down Under. Lead Rabobank rider Graeme Brown has a long history with the Tour Down Under and race Director Mike Turtur tips him as a cyclist to look out for in the peloton with his strength as a sprinter.

“Graeme Brown will be one to watch in the sprints, after finishing fourth overall in the sprint classification in the 2008 Tour Down Under,” said Mike Turtur. “He will aggressively chase all the points he can for the SA Lotteries Sprint jersey.”

Fellow Australian, Mathew Hayman will return to the Tour Down Under after a crash on Stage 4 of the 2008 event left him with a broken collarbone. "Graeme and Mathew performed very well at the 2008 event and I am sure they will travel to Adelaide with the aim to win with the Rabobank team,” said Turtur.

Graeme Brown has a long list of cycling achievements and one that links him to Turtur is his gold medal win in the 4000m Team Pursuit at the 2004 Olympic Games. Mike Turtur won gold in the same event at the1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Rabobank Tour Down Under Squad
Graeme Brown (AUS)
Bram De Groot (NED)
Mathew Hayman (AUS)
Jos Van Emden (NED)
Rick Flens (NED)
Tom Leezer (NED)
Kai Reus (NED)
Team Manager, Adri Van Houwelingen (NED)

“The experience of Dutch riders such as Bram De Groot and Rick Flens on the international cycling stage will add to Rabobank’s presence,” said Turtur. “We also look forward to welcoming Kai Reus to the Tour Down Under as part of his return to international competition.”

www.tourdownunder.com.au

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