As Alberto Contador is just coming back from injury, Tinkoff-Saxo will go into the Vuelta a Espana with an unusual approach. Instead of focusing fully on their leader, they will target stage wins in the first week before evaluating Contador's condition.

When Vuelta a Espana 2014 rolls of the starting ramp in Jerez for the TTT, Tinkoff-Saxo embarks on a Grand Tour with high ambitions, where the exact plan of action is to be determined as the stages and the shape of team leader Alberto Contador unfold. Steven de Jongh, sport director for Tinkoff-Saxo, explains:
 
“We have a strong team here and our riders are in good shape. We’re very happy to have Alberto here at the Vuelta. It’s important that he’s back on his bike and together with the team as quickly as possible. He can be very important in the second part of the race and our team tactics and ambitions will of course depend on how his shape develops”.

Steven de Jongh compares Tinkoff-Saxo’s situation at the Vuelta to that of this year’s Tour de France, where the team had to have a flexible set of ambitions in the second part of the race.
 
“We will go for stage wins in the first part of the race, while avoiding that Alberto loses time. If he’s feeling strong and he’s still in contention for the GC in the second part of the Vuelta, we’ll decide what we’ll do from there. The most important fact is that we have a strong group of riders that are ready to be visible in the race and that they know we have to create or own opportunities”, says Steven de Jongh and continues:
 
“We’re able to participate in the final sprints with Daniele Bennati and we certainly have riders, who are able to go in the long breakaways. In terms of the GC, we’ll have to wait and see. But we will use the same approach as we did during the second part of the Tour, which I believe was very successful”, concludes Steven de Jongh before the start in Jerez.