Cycling Pro Road & Mtb

Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team were presented to Holland

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Parent Category: Cycling Pro Road & Mtb

Category: News 2010

Published on Wednesday, 27 January 2010 07:14

Written by Marcella Crisanti

All 23 riders of the Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team for 2010 were presented to press and sponsors at a former convent on the Dutch/Belgium border. It was a good event with an upbeat atmosphere. The Pro continental team has signed seven new riders for 2010 who are all eager to start the season. After a successful debut in 2009 the team are aiming higher for 2010. Thirteen victories, fortytwo top three places and many attacks has put Vacansoleil firmly on the cycling map. The team came second in the European Tour rankings and won a stage in the Tour of Spain. Vacansoleil has also kept its top riders for the upcoming season. 

Breakthrough

The team who competed from February until October wearing a team kit of blue and yellow formation intend to be weekly fixture in the front group of two different events.  With additions like the Feillu brothers and Alberto Ongarato the team will be able to create new opportunities for themselves.  The development will fit in with the team motto of 'sporting, transparent and ambitious'. Sports director Michel Cornelisse is excited about the first races saying “when the team were training in Benidorm I saw a motivated bunch of riders that   want to make their mark and others who want to achieve a result on the world calendar in 2010.”

At least one Giant Tour

The team are aiming for a top three result in a monumental classic on the World Calendar and participate in a huge tour and gain a top 17 spot in the world ranking. The team are very ambitious and would also like to be starting in the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France in Holland.  Sports director Hilaire Van Der Schueren says of the possible appearance in one of these huge events; “Good results in the spring, the general development of our team with a good reputation may help us achieve places in Rotterdam, Amsterdam or Sevilla for the start of Vuelta a Espana.  As an international Pro continental team we are aware of the reliance of a wild card and we have to prove we deserve this.  At first the team and sponsors focus on the first races and keep a big tour in mind while taking in our performance.  Although, it's vital our riders and team can participate in at least one big tour in order to develop.  It's never easy for race organisors of the big tours to hand out the wild cards. This shows cycling is increasing in popularity, which is great news.

Support Kika

The team will have new sponsors and the Kika foundation displayed on the sleeves of their shirts for 2010.  Th Kika foundation is a Dutch charity and finances the research for children with cancer and provides support for their families.  The word Kika stands for Children Cancer Free. The decision to support the foundation was made in spring 2009. In addition of providing Kika with the opportunity of free brand awareness, the team wish to raise money for the charity. Team manager Daan Luijkx announced at Wernhout that the bike on which the team gets its biggest 2010 victory will be auctioned with all proceeds going to Kika.  He says, “We feel honoured Kika are supporting us and we will do our best to raise awareness  and support for the charity”. 

Expectations

Daan Luijkx expectations for 2010 are clear: “The budget and the number of staff members has increased since last winter and I sometimes have to think about the previous goals we have set since the end of 2008 to house the incredible growth. I am confident with our riders and staff and expect 100% effort.  If they achieve all new goals these will be reviewed in October. It will be difficult to achieve everything but we are challenging ourselves as cycling is a professional sport.”

Thanks to the extra effort of the current group of sponsors and support of new international sponsors the team has all the facilities they need to achieve new goals in 2010. “We are challenging ourselves as we had massive success in 2009 but I believe 2010 will even be better,” says one of the teams best riders Johnny Hoogerland.

The Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team for 2010:

Borut Bozic (Slovenia), Sergey Lagutin (Uzbekistan), Björn Leukemans, Frederik Veuchelen (Belgium), Matteo Carrara, Marco Marcato (Italy), Michał Gołaś (Poland), Martin Mortensen (Denmark), Wouter Mol, Arnoud van Groen, Bobbie Traksel, Johnny Hoogerland, Lieuwe Westra, Jens Mouris, Matthé Pronk and Wout Poels (The Netherlands).

New riders: Alberto Ongarato (Italy), Gorik Gardeyn (Belgium), Brice Feillu, Romain Feillu, Stephané Rossetto (France), Rob Ruygh and Joost van Leijen (The Netherlands)

Sports directors:

Hilaire Van Der Schueren (Belgium) and Michel Cornelisse (The Netherlands)

Team Manager:

Daan Luijkx (The Netherlands)