January 10, 2008 – The Rabobank Professional Cycling Team announced its new team roster for 2008 at the official team presentation on Monday in Ahoy’ Rotterdam, Netherlands. The squad includes six new riders. Tom Leezer, Bauke Mollema, Laurens ten Dam, Bram Tankink, Paul Martens, and Michiel Elijzen will join the Rabobank ProTour team this year.

New Management and a New Structure in 2008
The organizational structure of the Rabobank Cycling Teams will undergo changes in 2008. The Board of Commissioners of the Rabobank Group gave its permission to the newly proposed structure, including the presentation of a new director, Harold Knebel. He will officially start his job with the team on March 1, 2008. At the moment, Knebel holds the position of Director Private Banking at Rabobank. Henri van der Aat will stay on as Interim-Director until March 1.

The primary changes come in the structure of the management, the appointment of one rather than three statutory directors and the merger of the cycling team’s Advisory Board and Supervisory Board. These changes are connected with the conclusions and recommendations of the Vogelzang Committee. Rabobank is committed through these revisions to bringing about a change of culture within its own team and to contributing towards the realisation of structural improvements within the international sport of cycling. Enhanced whereabouts systems and more intensive health and doping tests constitute an integral part of the revised structure.

Menchov to Giro, Team Even More Ambitious
This year, Rabo-rider Denis Menchov will prepare differently for the Tour de France than previous years. The Russian will start in the Giro. “The program he will ride this year is for the most part his own wish,” announced team manager Erik Breukink on Monday during the presentation of the Rabo ProTeam in Ahoy’ Rotterdam. “Denis is good for a very long time after a major tour, can even improve, that is why.” One of the consequences is that in the fall, the captain will not defend his Vuelta victory in Spain.

Menchov will also ride the Liège-Bastogne-Liège for the first time in Rabo service. “I want to try something new in preparation to the Tour de France,” he explained. Besides the spring trilogy Amstel Gold Race-Waalse Pijl-LBL, Thomas Dekker is also focusing on the Tour. “And I think that then you are automatically good during the Olympic Games.”

Boogerd Stays Involved
In 2008 the team will have to do without the wise lessons of the retired Michael Boogerd on the race course. “That will feel as a great loss.” Van der Aat had good news for the team, however: “Michael will stay involved with the team. We do not know in what way yet. He will first go through a training program and then we will look for a function that best suits his qualities.”

Van der Aat stated the team’s ambitions: “Rabobank already is one of the best cycling teams in the world but we want to become one of the best sports teams in the world.” A major expansion of the medical staff, the training staff, and other counselors should be able to achieve that.

Rider’s Directors
Another new feature is the ‘rider’s directors.’ Team managers Erik Breukink, Erik Dekker, Frans Maassen, and Adri van Houwelingen will each be assigned a number of riders to oversee. This does not mean that the four will soley be involved with their own groups. Breukink will focus on the captains and Dekker will guide the young riders. They are to be given the chance to develop further in a supportive environment. That is also the reason why the Rabo ProTeam did not attract established world-class riders. Maassen and Van Houwelingen will work with fewer riders.

After the presentation, the media got the opportunity to catch up with the riders for an hour, which allowed newcomers Michiel Elijzen, Paul Martens, Tom Leezer, Bram Tankink, Laurens ten Dam, and Bauke Mollema to introduce themselves.

2008 Rabobank Pro Team Roster
– Maurico Alberto Ardila
– Jan Boven
– Graeme Brown
– Bram de Groot
– Marc de Maar
– Thomas Dekker
– Michiel Elijzen
– Theo Eltink
– Juan Antonio Flecha
– Rick Flens
– Oscar Freire
– Robert Gesink
– Matthew Hayman
– Pedro Horrillo
– Dmitri Kozontsjoek
– Sebastiaan Langeveld
– Tom Leezer
РGerben L̦wik
– Paul Martens
– Denis Menchov
– Koos Moerenhout
– Bauke Mollema
– Grischa Niermann
– Joost Posthuma
– Kai Reus
– Bram Tankink
– Laurens ten Dam
– William Walker
– Pieter Weening