Tour Down Under Update: Graeme Brown to Lead Rabobank Team

PRESS RELEASE: Australian ‘golden boy’ Graeme Brown will lead the Dutch Rabobank team at the Santos Tour Down Under in January.

Santos Tour Down Under Race Director, Mike Turtur, welcomed the return of Brown, a Santos Tour Down Under veteran and dual gold medalist at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

“Graeme Brown had a great start to the 2009 season with a stage win at the 2009 Tour Down Under and two stage wins at the Vuelta a Murcia race,” Mike Turtur said.

This season Graeme took overall victory at the European semi classic single day race, the Nokerre-Koerse making him one of only five non Belgium or Dutch cyclists to have won the race since its inception in 1944.

“Rabobank is fielding a very strong and competitive line up for next year’s Santos Tour Down Under with the inclusion of two Dutch national champions in their chosen cycling discipline with Stef Clement, National Time Trial Champion and Koos Moerenhout, National Road Race Champion,” said Turtur.
Rabobank’s line up for the 2010 Santos Tour Down Under will be led by Team Manager, Frans Maassen (NED) and includes riders:

Graeme Brown (AUS)
Stef Clement (NED)
Rick Flens (NED)
Tom Leezer (NED)
Koos Moerenhout (NED)
Jos van Emden (NED)
Pieter Weening (NED)

“The Rabobank team line-up is quite formidable with two regining Dutch national champions, a dual Olympic gold medalist and a Tour de France stage winner,” said Turtur.

“ The experience on this team should show on the results board come January.

“Tom Leezer may be one to watch for Škoda King of the Mountain contention as he held the lead in the mountains at the 2009 Tour of Spain in Stages 2 and 3.”

More rider and team announcements will be issued over the coming weeks. The 2010 Santos Tour Down Under will be held in Adelaide and regional South Australia from 17-24 January 2010.