In the peloton since 1980

Sponsors: Kelme: athletic clothing and footwear;Costa Blanca: tourism office for the region of Valencia,Spain
Budget: $3.5 million
Manager: Joan Mas
Directeurs sportifs: Vicente Belda, Ignacio Labarta, JoséLuis Laguia

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Riders
BOTERO Santiago (Col), October 27, 1972
CABELLO Francisco (Sp), May 20, 1969
CUENCA Juan Manuel (Sp), May 3, 1977
GOMEZ José (Sp),
GUTIERREZ José Enrique (Sp), June 18, 1974
PEREZ Santiago (Sp), August 5, 1977
SEVILLA Oscar (Sp), September 29, 1976
TAULER Antonio (Sp), April 11, 1974
VIDAL José Angel (Sp), October 28, 1969

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Taking on Armstrong
Kelme, the team with longest-serving sponsor in the peloton, is backagain, with the ever-affirmed drive to make a good showing in the Tourde France, especially when the roads are climbing and the air is becomingthin. The Spanish team flew through the 2001 Grande Boucle, taking theteam classification. The squad’s composition for this season is impressive,particularly in view of the grand tours — a team to keep an eye on, certainly.Oscar Sevilla will be determined to justify his 2001 white jersey of bestunder-25 and to prove that he can continue his march toward the top ofthe sport. The young guard will provide the example, and the team’s ambitionis to systematically counter Lance Armstrong’s attacks and not to allowhim the least respite. We could very well find a member of team Kelme —why not Santiago Botero? — very high on the podium.TEAM WINS2001
BOTERO: Vuelta a España, two stages.
CARDENAS: Tour de France, one stage.
CABELLO: Tour of Murcia, one stage.
GONZALEZ: Tour of Murcia, overall and one stage.
VICIOSO: GP Miguel Induráin; Tour of Alentejo, one stage;Clasica de Sabinanigo.
CUENCA: Tour of Rioja, one stage; Tour de l’Avenir, one stage.
MANZANO: Tour of Rioja, one stage.
GALVEZ: GP Mosqueterios, one stage.
ZABALLA: Tour of Portugal, one stage; Tour de l’Avenir, onestage.
J. PASCUAL LLORENTE: Tour de Castilla y Leon, one stage.2002
CABELLO: Majorca Challenge.
GALVEZ: Majorca Challenge, one stage.
VICIOSO: GP Miguel Induráin; Clasica Primavera.INTERVIEW
Vicente Belda, directeur sportif:
"We will try to do even better than last year. I believe that, in anevent like the Tour, you have to go into it with a clear set of objectives.Sevilla will be our leader, along with Botero. After having won the bestyoung rider and  best team classifications last year, with Sevillafinishing in seventh overall, we can lay claim to an even better performance.The team should display a nice homogeneity, even though there’s a chancethat the first section of the Tour in the north of France will be reservedfor the sprinters. The battle with Armstrong will undoubtedly be very impressive.Everyone will again ask the question of who will be able to defeat him.Why not try to handle it ourselves so that we have even more of a presencethan last year?"