Team Katusha, number 1 in the UCI WorldTour rankings, is happy to announce two signings for next season. On September 10th Belgian rider Jurgen Van den Broeck signed a contract for the 2016 season. Also, the German U23 road champion Nils Politt signed an agreement for two years with an ambitious Team Katusha.
Jurgen Van den Broeck (32) is the current Belgian time trial champion and a specialist of Grand Tours. Van den Broeck finished 3rd (2010) and 4th (2012) overall in the Tour de France. Also in the Giro d’Italia (6th in 2008) and the Vuelta a España (8th in 2011) he finished in the top ten.
– After nine years in the same team it was time to move. I missed the confidence of the team in me. At the same time there was a concrete interest from Team Katusha. Already in 2013, in the period of my knee problems, Viacheslav Ekimov and José Azevedo asked me regularly about my health problem. They encouraged me not to give up. They were, and still are, convinced I will once again reach the highest level. When they asked me some time ago to join Katusha, I felt it immediately as a grand honor. I know Ekimov and Azevedo from the period when I was a neo professional. They were experienced riders and I learned so much from them. In whatever Grand Tour(s) I will start next year, I will give my maximum – for myself and for the old or young teammates. I will start again with the ambition of a junior rider, – said Jurgen Van den Broeck.
As a junior rider Van den Broeck became World Champion in the time trial. On September 23rd Van den Broeck will start in the World Championships time trial (Richmond, USA). In Richmond he will meet Nils Politt who will participate in the U23 road World Championships.
Nils Politt (21) is one of the best German U23 riders of 2015. He impressed Team Katusha’s management during last Bayern Rundfahrt where he finished 6th amid all WorldTour riders. For Team Stölting he won the German U23 Road Championships and finished 2nd in the national Time Trial Championships. In 2014 he won the German U23 Time Trial title.
– I am so happy that Team Katusha wanted me in their team. Several months ago they showed interest in me. I love the Belgian and French classic races. I look forward to helping Alexander Kristoff in the coming seasons. I am sure I will learn a lot in this team. I will need to work a lot but I will sacrifice myself with pleasure for the team. My first acquaintance with the team will be the Tour Eurométropole at the end of September. I will start there as a Katusha trainee. I look forward to it, – said Nils Politt.
– It was never easier for us to find riders motivated to join our team as this year. Being the current leader of the UCI WorldTour ranking helps a lot, but also the atmosphere in the team was never better than in 2015. With Nils and Jurgen we have again two new strong riders in the team. The palmares of Jurgen Van den Broeck tell us enough about his capacities but I remember Jurgen from his first years as a pro rider and he is still the same: one hundred percent professional and prepared to be a team player. He will surprise us again. I hope Nils can do the same. Maybe already in Richmond, just as Sven Erik Bystrøm did last year. Why not? – concluded General Manager Viacheslav Ekimov.
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