It’s never easy for a second division squad to successfully compete with World Tour teams in the three-week events’ general classification as they usually decide to show off their colours and pay organizers back by animating breakaways, but it’s absolutely not the case for NetApp-Endura in this year’s Tour de France. With their leader Leopold Konig sitting seventh behind Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) and serious prospects on improving that position, the German Pro Continental squad really mean business in the biggest three week event, but it couldn’t surprise any fairly observant cycling enthusiast who watched a steady progression of 26-year old Czech rider.

Konig rode impressively well in last year’s edition of the Vuelta a Espana to finish ninth overall and claim stage victory in the process, so the Netapp-Endura leader was expected to make a next step forward and compete for a top ten result in the 101st edition of the Tour de France.

Sport director Enrico Poitschke told VeloNews, “Normally, the bigger teams are in a better place to do well, but we are doing a good job.”

“We were hoping to be in this place,” Denk added. “We’re happy to be in this spot after the Alpine stages, but we still have tough days ahead of us and we are going to have to defend it. If we take it to Paris, then we are truly happy.”

With the stars falling from the French sky almost every day, including early exits of pre-race favorites Chris Froome (Team Sky), Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) and Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp), unexpectedly promising opportunities were created for the riders like the young Czech, but 26-year old rider also didn’t manage to avoid all the obstacles of hectic two weeks of competition.

Despite usually still lacking some consistency in stage races, Konig was so far one of the most reliable riders in the mountains of this year’s edition of the Tour with top ten results on la Planche des Belles Filles and both Alpine stages, including third place finish behind Nibali and current polka dot jersey holder Rafał Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo) in Chamrousse.

“We knew that Leo has a big potential,” Denk added. “He sometimes has health problems and isn’t always steady, but now everything is going smoothly. He had a crash with Andrew Talansky [in the La Mauselaine stage], he lost three minutes, so without that, he could potentially be in the top five.”

Judged only by his performances, Konig should actually sit inside the top five of the current general classification, hasn’t the 26-year old rider lost three minutes involved in the crash with Talansky. With Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) suffering from bronchitis and Romain Bardet’s forces possibly being readdressed to support Jean-Christophe Peraud (Ag2r La Mondiale), the NetApp-Endura leader still has some chances to improve his position.

With NetApp-Endura finding a new sponsor to support the team for next five seasons, the German squad could hardly show their gratitude in a better way than a top ten finish in their Tour de France debut.

“I have to thank ASO for its trust. We now want to come again to the Tour with our new sponsor Bora,” Denk said.

“Other organizers can see our result here. In the Giro d’Italia two years ago, we were twice second, we won a stage in the Vuelta last year and this year, we are going well in the Tour — they can trust us.”