2009 ProTour - Columbia Team Profile
 Team Columbia men return with a record 84 wins as the top team of 2008 & looks to continue its winning ways in 2009 with a boatload of talented Young Guns and Journeymen.

2008 Tour de France Stage 8: Kim Kirchen Calm and confident look from the tour leader on the podium. Photo © 2008 Fotoreporter Sirotti

The 2009 season opened for team Columbia with Michael Rogers taking the elusive national time trial championship in Ballarat. Meanwhile the rest of the team was at a training camp in Mallorca.

The highlights of the 2008 season was certainly the six stage wins at the Tour de France and the possession of the yellow, green and white jerseys simultaneously. Others included the four stage wins at the Giro d’Italia, the overall and four stages of the Deutschland Tour, three stages and the overall of the Tour de Georgia as well as the Fleche Wallone Classic in Belgium, Coppa Agostini in Italy, and a World Time Trial Title earned by Bert Grabsch. All and all, it a great year for the newly renamed Columbia men who notched up a remarkable total of 84 wins during the season.

Special mention should be made of Mark Cavendish, whose three stage victories at the tour as well as his 17 season victories confirmed him as the world’s top male sprinter. Kim Kirchen rose beyond expectation to win Fleche Wallone in April and go on to have a very successful Tour de Suisse and Tour de France. Andre Greipel started strongly at Tour Down Under and continued his success throughout the season with 15 season-wins with his German teammate Bert Grabsch dominating time trials, finishing the season as World Time Trial Champion. The team’s young riders also put on a show with Edvald Boasson Hagen, Thomas Lovkvist, Tony Martin and Morris Possoni all excelling throughout the season.

Michael Albasini (Switzerland - 28) New
One day races, and stage hunter & Stage race
2nd G.C. 2008 Tour de Luxembourg
Personal website http://www.michaelalbasini.ch

Michael Barry (Canada - 33)
All rounder, one day races/Stage Hunter essential support in G.T.s
website: http://www.michaelbarry.ca/

Marcus Burghardt (Germany - 25)
One day races, sprinter train, stage race support and stage hunter.
website: http://www.marcus-burghardt.com/
blog: http://marcus-burghardt.blog.ch/0702/homepage-online

2008 Tpour de France stage 1`2: Mark Cavendish - confident and contented on the podium.Photo © 2008 Fotoreporter Sirotti

Mark Cavendish (Isle of Man, UK - 23)
Uber sprinter - top sprinter 2008 Season
17 Victories 2008
website: http://www.markcavendish.com/

Gert Dockx (Belgium - 20) U23
One day races, stage hunter
website: www.freewebs.com/gertdockx

Bernhard Eisel (Austria - 27)
Sprinter - Sprinter train
website: http://www.eisel.com/

Bert Grabsch (Germany - 33)
Time trial - 2008 World Time Trial Champion
personal website: http://www.bertgrabsch.de/

Andre Greipel (Germany - 26)
Sprinter 0 15 Victories 2008
personal website: http://www.andregreipel.de/ 

Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway - 21) U23
All rounder - Sprinter
Norwegian National Time Trial Champion

2008 Hel van het Mergelland: Tony Martin and Adam Hansen celebrate the win at the finish. Photo © 2008 Bart Hazen

Adam Hansen (Australia - 27)
All rounder - Time Trialist
3008 Australian TT Champion
personal website: http://www.adamhansen.com/

Greg Henderson (New Zealand - 32)
Sprinter - all round, one day races.
Former World Track Points race champion

George Hincapie (USA - 35)
Team Road Captain
Classics and One day/stage hunter - All around rider
Super Domestique on & 7 Tour de France winners team.
12 Tours de France, twice USA Road Champion
Twice USA Road Champion
personal website: http://www.georgehincapie.com/

2008 Tour de France Stage 2: Kim Kirchen in the maillot vert of points leader. Photo © 2008 Fotoreporter Sirotti

Kim Kirchen (Luxemburg - 30)
All around; G.C. threat
2nd Tour du Suisse, 7th Tour de France 2008

Craig Lewis (USA - 23)
All around, strong sprint
7th overall Tour de l'Avenir 2007
USAU23 Road & Criterium Champion 2006
All around rider.

Thomas Lovkvist (Sweden - 24)
Climber, All around
2nd overall Tour de l'Avenir 2007
German climbing champion 2007

Tony Martin (Germany - 23)
All around & Time Trial
2nd overall Tour de l'Avenir 2007

Maxime Monfort (Belgium - 25) 
All around - G.C. Threat
G.C.Tour of Luxembourg 2004
11th  Vuelta a Espana 2007
4th Criterium International 2008

2008 Giro stage 21 TT: Italian Time Trial Champion Marco Pinotti won his first Giro stage; in 2007 Marco enjoyed the honor of wearing the Maglia Rosa for 4 days. Photo © 2008 Fotoreporter Sirotti

Marco Pinotti (Italy - 32)
Time Trial Specialist, Stage races
G.C.Tour of Ireland 2008
National Italian Time Trial Champion 2007 - 08
Stage 21 Giro d'Italia 2008
3rd G.C.  Tour of Romandie 2008
Website: www.cyclingfx.nl/MarcoPinotti

Morris Possoni (Italy - 24)
All rounder - strong climber

Frantisek Rabon (Czech Republic - 25)
Climber, Time Trialist all around support.
2009 Czech Republic National Time Trial Champion

Mark Renshaw (Australia - 26) New
Fast finisher crew: Sprinter, prologues.
New from Credit Agricole.
Vicente Reynes (Spain - 27)
Classics and one day races.

Michael Rogers (Australia - 29)
Time Trial & G.C. Threat
2009 Australian Time Trial Champion
World Time Trial Champion (2003 - 2005)
2nd overall Tour of Catalonia 2007
10th Tour de France 2006
Stage & G.C. Tour Down Under 2002 (age 22)

Marcel Sieberg (Germany - 26) New
Sprinter/Leadout
New from Milram

Kanstantsin Sivtsov  (Belarus - 26)
All around Rider, Time Trials, G.C. Threat
 1Stage and G.C. 2008 Tour de Georgia 2008
U23 ITT World Champion (2004)

High Road Sports Inc
Team Management
Bob Stapleton  (General Manager)
Bruce Carmedelle (Manager)
 Directeur Sportif Rolf Aldag
Assistant D.S.:
Brian Holm 
Valerio Piva 
Jan Schafrath 
Tristan Hoffman 
Alan Peiper 

Team Website: www.highroadsports.com
Main Sponsor: Columbia - Apparel:  http://www.columbia.com/
Team Bike: Scott Addict

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