Spaniards Luis León Sánchez and Carlos Barredo have signed for the Dutch Rabobank team and had their first day with their new teammates. The duo doubles the Spanish contingent, with Oscar Freire and Juan Manuel Garate already part of the Rabobank squad.
Team Manager Adri van Houwelingen is quite happy with the signing of Sánchez and stays realistic for the Spaniard's capabilities in the coming season. "Luis León Sánchez is a rider who has proven himself in the past few years," van Houwelingen says in a video clip on Rabobank's website. "He may be coming up short on being a contender for the Grand Tours, but that's his only 'negative'. For the rest - in the classics and stage races that have a time trials and mountains - he can handle those very well."
Sánchez looked comfortable as he was strolling around the Rabobank van. Besides delivering results on the bike, his other task will be to learn some English. For now, he is relying on Barredo to do the translating. "I grew up in a world of sports when I was a kid," Sánchez said. "I was lucky and we were always working hard to become professionals."
He and his brother have made it into the limelight. "My family is quite happy with me as a professional cyclist and Pedro León as a professional soccer player." Brother Pedro plays for Real Madrid, one of the biggest teams in Europe, which currently leads the Spanish League.
Luis León is making his first steps in the Rabobank surroundings. "My goals for the season are first to integrate well within the team and work hard. We will see for the rest."
There is no question about the role from Barredo. "He was really hired as a helper for the Grand Tours," van Houwelingen says. "This season he rode the Tour and the Vuelta, where he won a stage. In the Tour, he was caught in the stage to Pau, I think, only in the final kilometer, after a hard day in the Pyrenees."
Barredo sees it the same way. "I am a team worker and here it is possible to help one of the young, progressing riders. This team is the one I dreamed of when I was a kid, so I am happy!"
Sánchez won the Clasica San Sebastian this year as well as the Spanish National time trial title and the overall of the Circuit de la Sarthe - Pays de la Loire. He also won stages in the Volta ao Algarve and the Tour Down Under.
Barredo took stage 15 of the Vuelta a España from Solares to Lagos de Covadonga in solo fashion. Both riders stayed with their current team for four years. Barredo was with Quick Step and Sánchez with Caisse d'Epargne. They are joining Garate, who will start his third season wit Rabobank in 2011 and Freire, who has been with the Dutch squad since 2003.