Tinkoff-Saxo’s squad for USA Pro Challenge is set, as the team embarks on the high-altitude race aiming for a result in the overall classification and stage wins. Ivan Rovny joins Chris Anker Sørensen in sharing the role as GC leader, while Kreuziger will direct the troops on the ground as team road captain.
 
With five out of seven stages taking place in mountainous terrain more than 2,000 meters above sea level, USA Pro Challenge tests the riders and GC favorites’ ability to adapt to the high altitude, says Tinkoff-Saxo sports director Lars Michaelsen, who will lead the team’s quest in Colorado.
 
“USA Pro Challenge is ridden in high mountains, thin air and with an eight-hour time-difference compared to Europe. We travelled to Colorado a week in advance, as it’s essential to adapt to these factors. It’s individual for each rider how many days he needs to make these adaptations. And as we get underway in the race, it will be crucial to stay at the front of the field and ahead of events in order to avoid running the risk of getting caught in any situation that requires extreme exertion”, assesses Lars Michaelsen, who notes about the team ambitions:

“Chris Anker Sørensen will be our main GC leader with Ivan Rovny joining him as co-leader. If the circumstances allow, we will be going for a stage with these two and perhaps with our new stagiaire Felix Grossschartner, who will be racing with the team for the first time. Roman Kreuziger obviously has a lot of experience and know-how, at the same time he has had a long season, and he’ll take on the important role as road captain. Then we’ll see if he’s there to go for a stage win on one of the tough days”.
 
Tinkoff-Saxo’s full lineup for USA Pro Challenge consists of Chris Anker Sørensen, Ivan Rovny, Roman Kreuziger, Bruno Pires, Jesus Hernandez, Edward Beltran and stagiaire Felix Grossschartner.
 
A total of 974 kilometers spread out on seven days of racing face the riders as they embark on USA Pro Challenge. Stage 2 features a summit finish at nearly 3,400m, while the riders aiming for the GC will go toe-to-toe at altitude during the 14km individual time trial on stage 5.
 
“After we have completed stage 2 with the summit finish we will be much wiser about our riders altitude adaptation and their GC possibilities and from that point on decide whether our racing strategy will lean towards the GC or stage wins. As any time trial, stage 5 will be very important for the overall classification and our GC riders will have to go full gas here. At no point do the TT parcours take the riders below 2850m above sea level, so this will again be a test into how well the riders adapt”, comments Lars Michaelsen before concluding:
 
“In general, we will seek to seize the opportunities on all stages, the squad is motivated before the start and we obviously know that the competition will be hard. We know that the multiple Pro Continental and even Continental teams will be on the lookout for success”.