Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team has finalized the six-rider selection for the OPQS two-time UCI World TTT Champion defense.
Colombian rider Rigoberto Uran will not fly to Spain to participate. Today he passed a few examinations in Belgium, together with team medical staff. His diagnosis was confirmed asthmatic bronchitis. He will follow therapy for the next five days and be ready for the UCI World Road Championship on the 28th of September.
"We will fly to Ponferrada on Wednesday," Sport Director Tom Steels said. "The parcours looks more difficult than the one of last year, more technical for sure. But fortunately we will fly there Wednesday, so we will have three days to get into the rhythm of the race, to study details, and prepare as nest we can. The team is strong. We believe this team can repeat the success of the first two attempts. All the guys showed they are in good condition for the race where they each competed in the last week. We have Tony Martin, who is the core as three-time UCI World TT Champion. Then we have Niki Terpstra, who is a guarantee to perform in this effort as he was on the world championship team the last two years. Then we have Michal Kwiatkowski, who was a part of the team last year and showed his strength at Tour of Britain a few days ago. Tom Boonen is also there. He can't wait to be a part of the team again after the experience the 2012 gold medal in Valkenburg. Then we have the two new rider selections in Pieter Serry and Julien Vermote. Serry was selected for the Belgian World TT Championship team, which shows his prowess and his condition for the chrono. Vermote just won a race at Tour of Britain with a long breakway and a solo victory. Both guys showed their ability and also their improvement, particularly through working on time trials with the help of Specialized. So the team is really competitive and ready to play a role in Ponferrada."