Tejay Van Garderen chasing overall victory but others will be going for stage wins
HTC-Highroad is sending an ambitious team to the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge-Tour of Colorado, which starts this weekend with an 8.3km prologue in Colorado Springs. The team’s young American star Tejay Van Garderen, who wore the polka-dot jersey in the Tour de France for a day, will be aiming at taking the overall victory in the race; the always-aggressive team will also be hunting stage victories.
"We've got a solid squad here," said sports director, Brian Holm, "With Tejay Van Garderen out for the GC and the local boy Danny Pate we've got a good shot."
"There are a few climbs so we're glad to have Peter Velits with us,” he added, “but all the guys are in good shape and should do just fine. We're mainly going for the GC but we will try for stage wins if the opportunity presents itself."
The team is already in the area, with a few days to go before the race, and will take the time to check out the route.
"The boys will do about four hours tomorrow [Friday – ed] before some scouting over the weekend, mainly on the TT course," said Holm.
After riding the Tour of Utah for the team, Australian stagiere Lachlan Norris will return for HTC-Highroad to gain even more experience; Craig Lewis also returns to the saddle, after a long recovery from the Giro d'Italia crash that also took out teammate Marco Pinotti.
"We should be ready and in good form for the prologue," added Holm, "but it could be close."
As well as taking results in the race – as HTC-Highroad chases the milestone of five hundred wins – many riders will be out to impress prospective future employers. With the team folding at the end of the season, many HTC-Highroad riders have already found new teams for 2012 – including Patrick Gretsch and Peter Velits, as well as Holm himself – but many have yet to announce where they will be next year.
A strong performance in one of the growing number of UCI races in the United States could enhance the prospects and value of a rider for next season.
HTC-Highroad for the USA Pro Cycling Challenge-Tour of Colorado
Caleb Fairly, Patrick Gretsch, Craig Lewis, Danny Pate, Hayden Roulston, Tejay Van Garderen, Peter Veltis and Norris Lachlan