Thursday, April 26, 2007

Dave Zabriskie - Only American To Win In All Three Grand Tours


Dave Zabriskie, winner of a Giro d'Italia stage in 2005, is returning to the Italian stage race next month as part of Team CSC's nine-man squad for the corsa rosa.

Zabriskie remains the only American to win stages in all three grand tours.

Zabriskie, 28, won stage eight in the 2005 Giro and then went on to win the opening time trial at the Tour de France that same year. Coupled with his 2004 Vuelta a España stage victory, the feat distinguishes him as the only American rider to win stages in all three grand tours.

The Giro will also mark the grand tour debut of Juan José Haedo, the Argentine sprinter who's already scored wins in the United States and Europe.

Team CSC will line up without a clear GC candidate and will instead be aiming for stage wins and a run in the maglia rosa. The opening team time trial will be especially appealing for CSC, which won the TTT in last year's Giro as well as the TTT that kicked off the 2006 Vuelta a España.

Reigning world time trial champion Fabian Cancellara will target the pink jersey and hone his form before a likely early departure ahead of the mountainous final week.

"We want to win the opening team time trial and I want to wear the maglia rosa," Cancellara told VeloNews earlier this month. "I won't race the entire Giro. I will probably race two weeks and then prepare for the Tour."

Team CSC for Giro d'Italia
David Zabriskie
Fabian Cancellara
Alexandr Kolobnev
Andy Schleck
Juan José Haedo
Kurt-Asle Arvesen
Michael Blauzun
Matti Breschel
Volodymir Gustov

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