Leopard Trek – Cycling News

Team Leopard owner Flavio Becca comments: “As we stated in January, 2011 would be our apprentice-year. We intend to improve upon our results. In modern cycling you cannot move forward without strong sponsors. It is in this respect that today is a further milestone in the development of this exciting young project, which has gained the trust of two well-established players in the world of professional cycling. I continue to believe in the bright future of our athletes and have high expectations for the performance of this team. This is a major strategic move for all partners involved.”

The team will continue to call Luxembourg its home.

Time trial World Champion Fabian Cancellara as well as Tour de France runners-up Andy and Fränk Schleck will continue to lead the team in its ambitious plans for the seasons 2012 and 2013. They will be joined by Tour of California Champion Chris Horner, two-time Tour de France runner-up Andreas Klöden, and National Champions Matthew Busche, Jani Brajkovic, Nelson Oliveira and Robert Wagner. The final line-up will be announced in due time.

Adriano Baffi: “The stage was short: only 100km around Tianjin. We tried to attack the leader, but his team controlled without big problem. Our plan was to launch Daniel for the intermediate sprints. He got third place, just behind the overall leader, so that didn’t change things in our advantage. The whole day long the leader’s team tried to disturb Daniel in his efforts to sprint or to move up in the bunch. That was sad.”

“In the final sprint we didn’t really participate anymore. It was impossible to get yellow. Daniel finished second overall and third in the points classification. We won the team classification with the team, which is always nice!”

Bockel was racing for 7h40 when he stepped into the medical car after about 30km into the marathon. He had come out of the water in sixth place, in a group that was closely behind the 2012 champion Pete Jacobs. He came off the bike in fifth place, just behind eventual winner Frederik Van Lierde and ran consistently in seventh place, until the pain took the best of him.

Bockel: “I had to pull out after throwing up several times during the marathon, it was horrible. Some athletes think that the drinks we get handed contained tap water, which is maybe why I had stomach problems. Usually I have a very strong stomach, but not today. Because I threw up several times, I couldn’t hold up any fluids. At some point I took a ten minutes break and drank some coke, but that didn’t make it better at all.”

Bockel also suffered from pain in the right hip. “It started during the run and it got drastically worse. I’m going to have this treated.”

“I feel pretty sore now and I’m obviously disappointed. My right hip is cooked. I’m upset, but that is racing. One day you’re on the top of the world, the next day you’re all the way down. It was a terrible day, but I will be back another day!

Frederik Van Lierde won the race in a time of 8:12:29. Luke McKenzie (+2:50) was second. Sebastian Kienle (+6:56) third.