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Competition Profile: GEROLSTEINER 2008




Description
Written by Wicky (2008-04-11 11:15)
Translated by Lord Blackadder (2008-04-11 11:15)

Gerolsteiner got through the winter like they are used to: quietly, without a problem and no shouting in the media. Although manager Holczer had to get in action, when the sponsor announced to finish it’s sponsorship contract by the end of this year, and he had to believe Schumacher true to his word when he said that he knew nothing of doping abuse before the world championships.


On the transfer market Gerolsteiner was very quiet also. By signing Schreck, the team got a useful team mate from the financially more powerful T-Mobile (now High Road). Two other former T-Mobile leftovers, Kopp (Cycle Collstrop) and Hiekmann (retired), now left Gerolsteiner. Holczer also signed two neo’s, De Bonis (25) and Frank (20). Mostly the latter should be a good addition to the team. The young Swiss rider was one of the best in the espoir category, which he showed by winning the Thüringer Rundfahrt.


Besides Kopp and Hiekmann, Strauss also left the team. He switched his blue jersey for that of Stegcomputer-CKT-Cogeas, and the older of the Zberg-brothers, Beat, retired from professional cycling. He is now a consultant for the Tour of Switzerland.


By this the hierarchy in the team shifts. Rebellin, already 36 years old but still worldclass, leads the team in the hilly classics, followed by Moletta and Wegmann. Schumacher also fits in this group (winner Amstel Gold Race 2007), but with his time trial skills he can also excel in the smaller stage races without any real high mountains.


Speaking of German talent, the time has come for Markus Fothen and Bernard Kohl to finally show their potential with some good results. The year has started promising for them. Both will surely be in the Tour de France squad, just like sprinter Robert Förster. He is followed by Haussler (1984), who still has, just like Gatto (1985), Fröhlinger (1985), Klinger (1985), Stamsnijder (1985), Russ (1983) and Westphal (1985), plenty of time to grow to the level he is expected to grow to, based on his espoir period. With Lang Holczer also has a worldclass time trial specialist, at least, when he isn’t injured.


Perhaps it doesn’t look like a very exciting team on paper, but there is plenty of talent present, guided by a driven Holczer in the car and Rebellin on the road. The atmosphere in the team is great, so all the ingredients are there to get some good results.


In
Francesco de Bonis, Mathias Frank (neo), Stephan Schreck (T-Mobile)


Out
Torsten Hiekmann, Beat Zberg (retired), David Kopp (Cycle Collstrop), Marcel Strauss (Stegcomputer-CKT-Cogeas)

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