July 28, 2004 – The 25-man T-Mobile team is one of the strongest commercial teams ever assembled and virtually all of their riders have major race or stage wins in the big races on their CV’s . Of course some names like Ullrich, Zabel and Vinokourov spring immediately to mind but they also have in the distinctive magenta strip riders like Andreas Kloden who has made a name for himself in this year’s Tour de France and previous stage winners in that great race such as Santiago Botero and Sergej Ivanov.

T-Mobile and US Postal-Berry Floor have been battling it out for some time for the title of best team on the cycling circuit and the appearance of both teams in this year’s Tour of Britain should set the pulses racing for both cycling fans and general sports enthusiasts.

Jan Ullrich won the Tour de France in 1997 and has been runner up on four occasions – in 1998, 2000, 2001 and last year. His team mate Alexandre Vinokourov is looking to match the great German’s achievements. Winner at Paris-Nice in both 2002 and 2003, of the Amstel Gold Race and Tour of Switzerland in 2003 and an overall third place at The Tour de France last year, the man from Kazakhstan is tipped by many for great honours after a season blighted by injury. Alex is hoping to be fit enough to make an impact at the Athens Olympics Eric Zabel is a veteran by comparison and is much loved and respected by cycling followers around the globe. Andreas Kloden burst onto the scene in 2000 winning Paris-Nice and The Tour of the Basque Country but was laid low by injury before re-appearing with a tremendous performance in this year’s Tour de France.

The T-Mobile team is full of talented riders who would grace any line-up. Paolo Savoldelli won the Giro d’Italia in 2002, the Australian Cadel Evans, who did not make this year’s team for The Tour de France, won the Tour of Austria in 2001 and Mario Aerts won Fleche Wallone in 2002.

Event Director of the Tour of Britain, Tony Doyle, is delighted with the quality of the field that will be on the starting line-up in Manchester on September 1st.

“Without a shadow of a doubt, this year’s Tour of Britain will deliver the best quality field of elite riders ever to compete in this country. Teams like US Postal-Berry Floor, T-Mobile, CSC, QuickStep-Davitamon and Credit Agricole are the teams to beat and their presence in the race will act as a spur to get the best out of all the riders – particularly those representing the national squads of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Great Britain.”