Barloworld's Tour de France lineup
Brad Morgan
20 June 2008
The South African-sponsored Team Barloworld has announced its line-up for the 2008 Tour de France, which starts on 5 July in Brest, France. It includes two South Africans.
The rest of the nine-rider team is made up of two Columbians, two Italians, a Spaniard, an Australian, and a Kenyan, who resides in South Africa. The inclusion of three Africans is a first in the long history of the Tour de France, which was first held in 1903.
A look at the make-up of the team reveals a well-balanced line-up that will allow Barloworld to challenge for victories no matter what kind of challenge each stage presents, be it flat or mountainous.
Sprinters
There are two sprinters, Robert Hunter and Baden Cooke. Both have proved their worth in the Tour de France in the past. Last year, Hunter finished second in the battle for the sprinters' green jersey, while Cooke won the jersey in 2003.
Five climbers have been selected and with good reason because Mauricio Soler is the defending King of the Mountains; that, a feat which led to him being crowned Colombia's Athlete of the Year after a vote among readers of the El Espectador newspaper.
He'll be backed up by Felix Cardenas, Moises Duenas, South African John-Lee Augustyn, and SA-based Kenyan Christopher Froome in his battle to defend the polka dot jersey.
Remarkably fast elevation
For Augustyn, his selection for the Tour de France marks a remarkably fast elevation to the top. He turned professional in 2007, but such was his impact that he was considered a possible selection for the last year's Tour; then, it was his inexperience that kept him out the line-up. Not this time.
Paulo Longo Borghini and Gianpaulo Cheula will serve as the domestiques once again. Both men played a crucial role in Team Barloworld achieving sensational results in last year's Tour.
Soler won the King of the Mountains' title, he also claimed victory in the ninth stage, and Hunter won stage 11. Besides the two wins, Team Barloworld also recorded a second, two thirds, three fourths, two fifths, and a sixth, an outstanding string of results from a UCI Continental team doing battle against the big UCI Pro Tour teams.
Diego Caccia and Hugo Sabida were named as reserves.
Soler injury
Soler is currently at home in Colombia, training at high altitude, while he works to overcome a wrist injury that forced him out of the Giro d'Italia after a fall early in the race.
Team Manager Corti said: "We're constantly in touch with him and we know that the injury to his wrist is still causing him some problems.
"However, medical specialists told us that the complete healing of the bone only occurs after 40 days, and so it is normal that he still feels some pain. The pain should ease over time."
Chris Fisher, Head of Corporate Marketing said: "Last year in the Tour De France, Team Barloworld's advantage was the fact that other teams didn't really know them. We utilized the element of surprise to maximum effect. This year the team will be more closely marked.
Cautiously optimistic
Corti is cautiously optimistic about Barloworld's chances. "We can't automatically expect to get the same impressive results," he said, "but we will be aiming to do even better this year.
"We won't be considered an 'outsider' this year and will be at the start in Brest determined to do well throughout the Tour de France."
Team Barloworld Tour de France 2008
- Mauricio Soler (Colombia)
- Baden Cooke (Australia)
- Robert Hunter (South Africa)
- John-Lee Augustyn (South Africa)
- Christopher Froome (Kenya)
- Felix Cardenas (Colombia)
- Paolo Longo Borghini (Italy)
- Gianpaolo Cheula (Italy)
- Moisès Dueñas Nevado (Spain)
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