CSC-Saxo Bank is signing more young guns to bolster the squad for 2009 and beyond. The team announced the arrival of two new riders who hold much promise for the future. The squad confirmed that Jonathan Bellis, a British all-rounder who took bronze in last year’s Under 23 world championships, will join as a neo-pro for next year. Also coming on as a neo-pro is German talent Dominic Klemme, who took two stages at the Tour de l’Avenir as well as in the Regio Tour

Australia veteran Bradley McGee has decided to retire and will become a sport director at CSC-Saxo Bank in 2009. The 32-year-old joined CSC-Saxo Bank this year and was showing promising signs of regaining the fitness and motivation to recapture his place among the best in the peloton, but a crash in May’s Giro d’Italia derailed plans to race the Tour de France. He bounced back to compete in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, but fell short of a medal in the team and individual pursuits. 

Team CSC-Saxo Bank’s Lars Bak snuck into the day’s winning breakaway Thursday at the Tour of Poland and climbed into second overall. Jurgen Roelandts won the stage and Jose Joaquin Rojas takes the lead, with Bak settling into second at just two seconds back. The trio was part of a 12-man breakaway that finished 12 seconds ahead of the chasing pack. Gustav Larsson, silver medalist in the time trial at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, pulled out with a fever. There are still 100 riders within one minute of each other going into Friday’s stage, so this race is far from over. 

Riders protested in the Tour of Poland on Wednesday and refused to race in what they called dangerous conditions. Heavy rain and cold drenched the peloton at the start of the 202-kilometer fourth stage. Riders raced most of the stage, but got off their bikes on the third of three finishing circuits and said it was too dangerous. Officials later cancelled the entire stage. Allan Davis remains in first with Team CSC-Saxo Bank’s Lars Bak in third at seven seconds in arrears.

Lars Bak moved into third overall in Tuesday’s sprint stage in the Tour of Poland. Italian sprinter Angelo Furlan won the stage while Allan Davis, winner of yesterday’s stage, takes over the leader’s jersey. Bak held the leader’s jersey after Team CSC won the opening team time trial on Sunday.