Some weeks ago there were rumors about a new German Continental Cycling Team. It became very calm in the last time but now we are proud to present the result of many hours of negotiations.
A new German Continental team was initiated. But it`s not a pure German team but above all an European project with the core in Germany.
Our goal is to have a nice start into the professional cycling. Hopefully we will have some results where we can build on in the future. We can`t expect the biggest names and the participation at the biggest races in our first season. Nobody expects this and so our main sponsors will give us time to develope.
So, German teams. Who can i interest in the miracles of Artur Gajek. He almost won a stage in Bayern Rundfarth, and didn't get dropped in Vattenfall Cyclassics.
As the chief engineer now announced Team Rothaus - Aegon and Stevens Bikes will cooperate in the next year.
"Yes, the rumors are true, we are very proud to ride on Stevens Bikes in the upcoming season. We think that they have great bikes of a very high quality."
Stevens Bikes was already known in the cycling scene. In 2008 they were the main sponsor of the "Deutschlandtour", sponsor of some cyclocross and woman teams. Not to mention the time trial World Cup Championship by Amber Neben in 2008 on a Stevens Bike.
Vantage CT
Crono c
These will be the bikes used by Team Rothaus. But as we heard they will get special bikes in a Rothaus design.
Sport1: Well, the transfer window is coming closer, but the time to check possible riders starts much earlier of course. I suppose you have also a list of riders?
DS: Of course there are some names we discussed more often than others but I can`t name all of them as it would last too long. We also have to see, which riders are possible. We don`t have to discuss about riders like Cunego as it would be absolutely impossible to take him under contract.
Sport1: You mentioned Wegmann and Kessler earlier as these are two of the strongest German free agents. But what about riders of other teams? Are there any names you can give me?
DS: I can tell you 3 riders of big interest. First is Maurice Schreurs, riding for Phillips - TDC. He is a young and talented Dutch rider with his biggest strenght in hilly races. Together with Bauke Mollema (Bbox), who is a quite similar rider, they are on the "wish list" of our co-sponsor Aegon.
The 3rd rider is Roger Kluge riding for Pokerstars. He is a good sprinter and time trialist. Of course we want him in our new team, but so all the other German teams do.
Sport1: These are indeed interesting riders but how realistic are these transfer?
DS: That`s the big question actually. So far we didn`t have contact to riders or managers. But hopefully we can get at least one of them.
But one thing I can promise you, in 2012 we will have a competive team no matter, how these negotiations will end.
First pictures of the special Rothaus/Stevens Bikes.
Vantage CT
Crono c
Our cooperation with Stevens Bikes brought us new individual bikes.
These Stevens Bikes will be pretty unique as htey have a Rothaus signature and seeing these brand in professional road races isn`t that common. They are more known for mountain bike teams, but with this new team they also want to extend their offer.
We hope that these bikes will bring us good luck and many results.
As a German team with a Dutch co-sponsor we will of course focus on these races. But in general we will try to compete as good as possible in mainly European races.
Actually it`s really hard to choose races, that suit the best to your team without having a single rider. So we really are forced now to get the riders we want.
Win Criterium Hainleite
Top 5 Bayern Rundfahrt
Top 5 Rund um den Eschborn Frankfurt
Top 5 Profronde van Drenthe
Top 10 Team Standing
But we will also target other races such as:
Deutschland Tour
ProRace Berlin
Hel Van Het Mergeland
Int. Osterreich Rundfahrt
Presidential Tour of Turkey
Most races are something in between flat and hilly, so this will also be our first priority in the transfer season.
But depending on our team budget we will also try to get a rider for the harder stages in Austria and Turkey.
Edited by roturn on 01-04-2011 13:34
Maybe I would have done the same with an existing team. But without any riders it`s the only way I think to choose some national or similar races.
But now I really need good riders to reach my goals
It was quite calm around our team in the last weeks. But we were quite busy with looking for possible signings of course.
Our co sponsor Aegon published an article on their homepage about Maurice Schreurs, which is their favourite rider. They really want him in our team.
Maurice Schreurs was born on the 6th of September in 1988 in Heerlen, Netherlands. After good results in the youth cycling league he signed a contract with the big cycling team Philips - TDC, who was very successful in the last years by winning the Tour de France, Amstel Gold Race or the Fleche Wallone. In 2011 the main sponsor stopped the sponsoring and former co sponsor Spyker will overtake the team.
With this changing we also hope to get the young Dutch talent into our squad. Of course we can`t offer him as much big races at the moment, but he will definitely have more chances to ride on his own in the new Rothaus - Aegon team. His biggest success in 2011 was the stage win in the U23 race Tour de l'Avenir and the 3rd in the overall.
A little German newspaper also announced another rider in the view of Team Rothaus - Aegon:
[...]Aleksandar Flügel is a young German talent with already good puncheur qualities. From a serious source we know that the new German team is highly interested to sign him as one of their leaders.
His biggest success in 2011 was the 2nd in the FBD Insurance Ras, where he showed his great talent.
Flügel fights for the stage win with the Italian Giovanni Visconti.
His former team Ikea-Bianchi stopped sponsoring and so he is one of the free agents.
But as we know there are also other teams interested in signing him like one of the biggest German teams "Volkswagen-Siemens Cycling". So it will be very hard to beat them.
So they must be happy with other, confirmed riders as Wegmann or Kessler.
The media director of Rothaus wasn`t free for any confirmation about this rumour.
After a short news break we are happy to announce that the season starts to progress more and more.
This week we were announced over the HC Race participations. Luckily for us we got our most important choices and can start to build a team around this races soon.
Bayern Rundfahrt
ProRace Berlin
Profronde van Drenthe
Circuit Franco-Belge
Tour de Pologne
E3 Prijs
Tour of Britain
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Corsica International
Philadelphia International Championship
Vuelta a Burgos
Giro dell'Emelia
Volta a Portugal
Except of the Philadelphia race all HC picks are part of the European Tour.
Highlights of course our sponsor goals in Bayern and in the Profronde van Drenthe. But also the ProRace Berlin is a very important race for our sponsors.
Our most focused races are mainly flat, so looking for a great sprinter has highest priority.
But we would also like to be prepared for the harder races in Portugal, French or Spain.
