Dominik Nerz signs with Liquigas
Italian team Liquigas has signed 2009 U23 German Champion Dominik Nerz, who has been in the transfer market since the folding of his local team Milram. Roberto Amadio, leader of the Italian team, had previously offered Nerz a contract in 2009 but the German
took Milram’s offer instead. Amadio took the opportunity to again offer the 21-year-old rider a two-year contract and this time Nerz signed it.
"I am proud that I can ride for such a big team," said Nerz to Radsport news. "In my time as an U23 rider I rode often and successfully in Italy. But the Liquigas offer was the best in the end. Here, the sporting side is good and I see a good chance
to develop. Maybe I get to do a bigger stage race. Looking for my own results or taking a win, though, would be utopian."
Nerz will be moving to the ProTour team’s training camp in Switzerland at the end of November, where he plans to dedicate his free time to learning Italian, despite Switzerland’s large German-speaking community. His will compete with the team for the first
time in January.
"I realized that English won't get me too far. Learning the language is also a matter of respect towards the team," said Nerz. "It is not yet decided if I will do the Tour Down Under or the Tour of San Luis in Argentina."
Again, the promising young rider was offered contracts from several teams, but this time Liquigas offered the best one. The all-rounder’s schedule for 2011 will be primarily geared toward domestic riding, but Nerz eventually plans to grow into a strong stage
racer.
"For that I will have to improve in the mountains as well as in the time trial. I still lack in those departments in the professional races."
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