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Team Columbia-HTC was the most successful team in the UCI ProTour in terms of number of victories for a second season in 2009, winning 86 races with 15 different riders.

Much of the successes came from sprinters Mark Cavendish and André Greipel, but it was also thanks to the winning mentality and team spirit created within the US-registered team. Team owner Bob Stapleton knows how to build a successful but solid team and also added mobile telephone manufacturer HTC as a main sponsor during the season.

Mark Cavendish confirmed that he is the fastest sprinter in the world by winning the Milano-San Remo classic at the very first attempt and by winning three stages at the Giro d’Italia and five stages at the Tour de France. The 24 year-old Briton will again target the sprints in 2010 but also has his eye on the green points jersey at the Tour de France and the world road race title in Melbourne, Australia.

Greipel alternated races and victories with Cavendish but it is important not to forget the sacrifice and success of stage rider Tony Martin of Germany, Italian time trialist Marco Pinotti, lead out man Mark Renshaw, road captain Michael Rogers and hard workers Bernhard Eisel and Bert Grabsch.

Eight riders have moved to other teams for 2010, including George Hincapie, Kim Kirchen and Edvald Boasson Hagen but Stapleton has replaced them with some of the most promising talent in the peloton and will work hard to help them emerge.

Australia’s Mathew Goss is surely the next great Australian classics rider, while Hayden Roulston, Lars Bak and Martin and Peter Velits have huge untapped potential. American Tejay Van Garderen and Australia’s Leigh Howard are the best new professionals.

“We built our 2009 success on the foundations of the 2008 season. For that reason, we’re confident of even more success in 2010,” Team Manager Rolf Aldag said.