Discovery Channel Cycling Team Announces Tour de France Roster
By VOA Sports
27 June 2007
The United States-based Discovery Channel cycling team has announced its nine-man roster for the 94th edition of the Tour de France, which begins July 7 in London.
Team manager Johan Bruyneel said Levi Leipheimer will spearhead the team's drive for the yellow jersey. Leipheimer has finished in the top-10 three times during his Tour de France career, and Bruyneel says he has the "form and experience" to finish on the podium.
Bruyneel also announced that the Discovery team is ready to sign the International Cycling Union's anti-doping charter before the Tour de France.
The route for the 2007 Tour de France is 3,547 kilometers. The race consists of one prologue time trial and 20 stages, including 11 flat stages, six mountain stages, one medium mountain stage and two individual time trials.
Leipheimer says the team has selected "an amazing group of riders" to support him and that he could not be happier. Backing the Californian will be fellow-American George Hincapie, Alberto Contador, Benjamin Noval and Egoi Martinez of Spain, Portugal's Sergio Paulinho, Tomas Vaitkus of Lithuania, Russian Vladimir Gusev and Yaroslav Popovych of Ukraine.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP.
source:
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