Excited Novoa Ahead of Team CSC Debut
[10.10 14:30] This Thursday around 11 o'clock this year's edition of Coppa Sabatini kicks off with a very excited Team CSC debutant in the line-up at Stadio Comunale in Peccioli. The Tuscan race is the first in the Team CSC jersey for new stagiaire Joaquin Novoa.
Novoa has been recommended by training buddy Carlos Sastre and the two of them will both be in Coppa Sabatini as well as in this weekend's two other Italian races Giro dell'Emilia and GP Beghelli � all three races with a strong Team CSC line-up by the way.
"I'm honored to be given this opportunity and I'm highly motivated to work extremely hard for the team," says the young Spanish rider, who is already known in Spanish amateur circles.
This was where Sastre, with his vast knowledge of Spanish cycling, spotted Novoa a few years back and recruited him to his father's cycling school in Avila, which is also Sastre's home town.
"He's a big guy, who's both good on the climbs and at the front of the peloton during a flat stretch. He's one of the best amateurs in Spain, which he proved by taking 30 top-10 spots last year and 41 this year, so I think he's got the right skills to become a great pro rider," says Sastre.
The Team CSC captain has been following Novoa through four years and for the last two they have been training partners on a regular basis. This obviously gives Sastre a certain amount of insider knowledge about his young countryman, but the oncoming races in Italy will no doubt be an eye opener for Novoa.
"He knows he'll have to work really hard and these races will enable us to check him out a bit and see, what he's made off. It'll be exciting and I'm very confident on his behalf," concludes Sastre.
Besides Sastre and Novoa Team CSC also has Fr�nk and Andy Schleck, Chris Anker S�rensen, Alexandr Kolobnev and Anders Lund in the line-up for the three races. Partly to get some good results and partly as preparation for Giro di Lombardia next Sunday.
Coppa Sabatini; Results |
