Management

TEAM SAXO BANK (SAX) - DEN

Denmark’s one ProTeam, Saxo Bank boasts a plethora of experienced Grand Tour veterans, sprinters and Classics riders likely to snatch victories under almost and any race scenario.

Denmark’s national road-race champion for the last two years, Nicki Sorensen, is just one example of Saxo Bank’s rich vein of talent. Now in his twelfth year with the same squad directed by Bjarne Riis, the 36-year-old has taken stages in the Tour de France (2009) and the Vuelta a España (2005) as well as four national titles.

Portugal’s Sergio Paulinho has a very similar curriculum vitae: a stage win in the Tour de France (2010), another in the Vuelta a España (2006) and a former national champion - in his case, time trialing. Like Sorensen, Paulinho, an Olympic silver medalist back in 2004, can never be ruled out.

And the list goes on... also in Saxo Bank’s roster for 2012 are Italian all-rounder Matteo Tosatto, Ardennes Classics specialist Karsten Kroon, 2010 Giro d’Italia mountain stage winner Chris Anker Sorensen and 2011 Tour of Flanders winner Nick Nuyens. All are highly experienced veterans whose rivals underestimate them at their peril.

Another top name is Argentina’s top sprinter J.J. Haedo, winner of a Vuelta a España stage last year in a very complicated bunch sprint finish, and more than capable of picking up victories in other lesser events.

As a manager, Riis has carved out a reputation for an aggressive strategic racing style, and there can be doubting Riis has a line-up with the right kind of experience needed to complement that. For example, Nick Nuyens showed he was finally in his ideal team environment last year in the Tour of Flanders where he took the biggest victory of his career. In 2012, some equally impressive victories for Saxo Bank are all but guaranteed.