Australian Drapac Porsche team picks up Floris Goesinnen
After more than four years with Skil-Shimano, Dutch cyclist Floris Goesinnen was not offered a contract extension by his homeland cycling team and has made the move over to Australian team Drapac Porsche
for a one-year contract. Despite being left hanging by his former Pro Continental team, the Dutchman had no trouble finding several offers to choose from out of the Continental peloton.
"It is a strong team with a topnotch management, for which sports in Australia is known for," said Goesinnen to
Wielerflits.nl. "It is not bad to join a team of riders who can ride hard, but it also has the philosophy to produce complete people, as well as good riders."
Goesinnen will be one of the most experienced cyclists on Drapac Porsche. His time with Skil-Shimano, which he joined in May 2006, earned him an overall victory at the Nationale Sluitingprijs - Putte-Kapellen
the following year. 2008 was his top stage-racing year, with wins at the Tour de l'Ain and the Brixia Tour and the overall king-of-the-mountain jersey at the Eneco Tour.
"I am one of the older guys and I will be the captain on the road of the European part of the race program, also going for results," said the Dutchman. "In the beginning they will have to lead me, with
all the new circumstances and also life in Melbourne."
Goesinnen admits that he wasn’t surprised when Skil-Shimano did not offer him a contract extension. He spent most of the summer of 2010 resting due to illness, despite riding strong in the spring. The
Australian team will be a big change with a program primarily based outside of Europe.
“The calendar on the other side of the world is not so loaded that you can choose what you want to ride, but there is enough in there. The biggest difference is the tradition of criteriums in Australia.
That will be new.”
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