The Garmin-Chipotle team will trot out an impressive 14 man team to contest the US road race championship next weekend in Greenville, South Carolina. Led by Tour de France star Christian Vande Velde, Garmin will be able to control the race from start to finish, as they attempt to take home the stars-and-stripes jersey. The full line up of Garmins for the US Pro road race currently is: Blake Caldwell, Steven Cozza, Thomas Danielson, Jason Donald, Timmy Duggan, Lucas Euser, Tyler Farrar, Mike Friedman, Will Frischkorn, Patrick McCarty, Danny Pate, Tom Peterson, Christian Vande Velde, and David Zabriskie.
This potent line up will make it very hard for the other teams to assert their will over the bike race. Garmin will be able to employ their big engines (Zabriskie, Donald, Cozza, Duggan) to push the pace early in the race, as they look to set up one of the more climbing oriented riders like Vande Velde, Friedman, Pate, or Danielson. Meanwhile, riders like Will Frischkorn, Blake Caldwell and Lucas Euser will be free to go with early breaks, and try their luck with a long attack on the climber's friendly course.
The other teams in the race, Bissel, Rock Racing, Toyota United, Health Net and Kelly Benefits, will have to work together to neutralize the Garmin squad if they are to have any chance at victory. Rock has the second most entrants in the race, but unfortunately, they do not possess the fire power of the Garmin line up. Tyler Hamilton and Fred Rodriguez will have help early on, but down the stretch will have to hope they can follow the Garmin train when the pace is lifted. Even a heavy favorite like George Hincapie will probably have to wait for Garmin to make the race, as the aging American veteran will have only one teammate, Craig Lewis, to support him against the Garmin goliath.
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