Etixx - Quick-Step has announced the selection that will participate in the 102nd edition of Le Tour de France, which includes nine flat stages, three hilly stages, seven high mountain stages with summit finishes, one individual time trial, and one team time trial. There are also two rest days during the three week grand tour that starts on Saturday, July 4th, and goes until Sunday, July 26th.
The selection of Etixx - Quick-Step for Le Tour is Mark Cavendish, Michal Golas, Michal Kwiatkowski, Tony Martin, Mark Renshaw, Zdenek Stybar, Matteo Trentin, Rigoberto Uran, and Julien Vermote.
"We are at the start of this Tour de France with a very talented and experienced team," Sport and Development Manager Rolf Aldag said. "Of course for a team like ours, until the 9th Stage at the TTT, every day will be a challenge.
"Starting in the beginning in Utrecth with the ITT, and continuing the day after with a stage that, on paper, looks to be conditioned by crosswinds along the sea. It's no secret we have a team that is built for these kinds of efforts. So we are looking forward to this stage.
"Then we move into Belgium. As a team based there, it is a key moment of Le Tour to show ourselves in front of our home public. We also have the day of the Mur de Huy finale, where we can play with several options.
"Then the day after, Stage 4 with the cobbles, it is another stage that suits our team perfectly, even if riding on a Classic parcours during the Tour de France is not exactly like riding the spring races. Of course, in cycling anything can happen during these stages, but we know we are as prepared as any team in the peloton to do well on the cobbled sectors.
"Then we have a couple of stages for fast riders, where Mark Cavendish can be a protagonist. Mark will have the team at his service these days. To conclude the first week of the Tour de France is the arrival of Mûr-de-Bretagne, and the TTT, a discipline where technique and commitment are important. We have tradition in this discipline, that's why we consider it a important appointment on our road to Paris.
"Our goal is to perform well in this first part of the race. We want to go into the first rest day happy with our overall performance. It will be important to perform, find results, and then good confidence for the second part of the race starting with the 10th stage.
"In the second part of Le Tour there are still some stages for the sprints, but also a lot of ground for climbers and attackers. We have options also in the mountains with a rider like Rigoberto Uran, but not only him. Riders such as Tony and Michal showed already in the past that every day they can invent something significant.
"We want to be consistent over the three weeks and try to be present on multiple levels. We want to be present in the stages, and why not, try to get the yellow jersey for a few days. Wearing that jersey even for few days is always a big achievement.
"The guys prepared well for this race, and we are confident that all the jobs we've done in the last weeks will pay off at the right moment. We believe in our selection formed by riders of eight different nationalities. Our ultimate goal is to leave a mark in this Tour de France, and we believe we have the potential to do it."
Etixx - Quick-Step Rider Info:
Mark Cavendish (Great Britain)
9th participation
25 stage wins Tour de France (2013 (2x), 2012 (3x), 2011 (5x), 2010 (5x), 2009 (6x), 2008 (4x))
18 days green jersey as leader of points classification Tour de France (2011 (10x), 2009 (8x)
Winner point classification in 2011
2nd points classification (2009,2010,2013)
2015 Victories
7th stage Tour de San Luis, 1st, 4th stage and overall Dubai Tour, Clásica de Almería, Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, 1st, 2nd & 7th Stage Tour of Turkey, 1st, 2nd, 5th and 8th Stage Amgen Tour of California
Michal Golas (Poland)
2nd participation
2015 Highlights
17th place Paris-Nice Stage 6
Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland)
3rd participation
12 days leader youth classification Tour de France (2014 (2x), 2013 (10x))
2015 Victories
Prologue Paris-Nice, Best Young Rider Paris-Nice, Amstel Gold Race
Other 2015 Highlights
2nd place Tour de San Luis Stage 5 ITT, 2nd place Overall & Stage 4 Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta, 2nd overall Paris-Nice, 3rd place Paris-Nice Stage 4, 4th place Dwars door Vlaanderen / A travers la Flandre, 2nd place Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco Stage 1, 2nd Place Points Classification Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco
Tony Martin (Germany)
7th participation
4 stage wins Tour de France (2014 (2x), 2013, 2011)
15 days leader you classification Tour de France (2010 (3x), 2009 (12x))
1 day leader mountain classification Tour de France (2014)
2015 Victories
3rd stage Volta ao Algarve, 6th stage Tour de Romandie
Other 2015 Highlights
3rd place Paris-Nice Prologue, 4th Place Stage 7 ITT Paris-Nice, 4th place Mountains Classification Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco, 4th place Tour de Romandie Stage 1 ITT
Mark Renshaw (Australia)
7th participation
2015 highlights
3rd place Clasica de Almeria, 8th place Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde Stage 2
Zdenek Stybar (Czech Republic)
First Participation
2015 Victories
Strade Bianche
Other 2015 Highlights
2nd place E3 Harelbeke & Paris-Roubaix, 3rd Vuelta Ciclista al Murcia
Matteo Trentin (Italy)
3rd participation
2 stage wins Tour de France (2014, 2013)
2015 Highlights
3rd E3 Harelbeke, 6th place Scheldeprijs, 7th Tour de Suisse Stage 8
Rigoberto Uran (Colombia)
3rd Participation
4 days leader youth classification Tour de France (2011 (4x)
2015 Victories
Colombian National ITT Championship
Other 2015 Highlights
4th place Colombian National Road Championship, 2nd place Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 4, 2nd place Volta Ciclista a Catalunya Stage 3, 5th place overall Tour de Romandie, 3rd place Stage 19 & 20 Giro d'Italia
Julien Vermote (Belgium)
First Participation
2015 Highlights
21st place Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta Stage 3 ITT, 14th place Strade Bianche, 19th place Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 6, 8th place Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde Stage 3b & Overall
Wolfgang MURER 45 years | today |
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