 | TEAM FACTFILE Country: Holland Manager: Theo de Rooy Team leader: Michael Boogerd, Denis Menchov Best Tour: Boogerd fourth in 1998 |
They may have been a little quiet in terms of signings for this season, but Rabobank have a wealth of Tour experience to hold them in good stead. Oscar Freire was their form man, one of the top-ranked riders on the ProTour, but he misses the Tour because of an "infection in the saddle area".
Despite an impressive Tour record, Michael Boogerd looks unlikely to mix it with the big boys.
In fact, the team would do better to get behind new signing Denis Menchov.
At the age of 27, he knows the pressure is on to finally make the step up to becoming one of the front runners.
An experienced management team, including former cyclists Frans Maassen and Joop Zoetemelk, have shaped the team in every division and there are other leading lights in the team.
They include Erik Dekker and Michael Rasmussen, who crept his way up to 14th in last year's Tour.
MMIX
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