Hans-Michael Holczer returns to professional cycling as he joins team Katusha – Cycling News
Hans-Michael Holczer has returned to professional cycling, as he will be the new General Manager for team Katusha, replacing Andrei Tchmil.
Holczer managed the team Gerolsteiner from 1998 to 2008, before the team failed to find a sponsor and announced its demise by the end of 2008.
After the demise of Gerolsteiner, Holczer stated that he will return to professional cycling, “only with a big team”.
He mentioned and he has shown his patience for three years. It seems like the wait for Holczer is over because he has found just the offer he was waiting for, as Michael has agreed to join team Katusha.
He is keen to help the team improve its performance, since the Russian team is currently at the 12th position in the UCI World Tour teams rankings.
Spanish rider Joaquim Rodriguez is the top cyclist with 366 points, as he secured the fourth position at the UCI World Tour individual rankings.
Meanwhile, Philippe Gilbert dominates the ranking with 698 points.
The 57-year-old will be managing the “Global Russian Cycling Project”, which gives him the responsibility of four teams.
The teams, Under-21 team, Under-23 team, a Continental team and the UCI Pro team Katusha will fall under his domain.
His job mainly will be to help and promote Russian Cycling and is committed to produce good results at the 2012 London Olympics, Universiade and World Championships.
Michael told the Frankfurter Rundschau that the responsibilities on his shoulders are big and he is optimistic about Katusha’s future.
He said, “The fascination and the possibilities of this offer were simply too big. The team has a much higher budget than Gerolsteiner ever had and my role is totally different”.
He has signed a three-year contract with the team as he takes his former teammates, Michael Rich and Christian Henn, to further strengthen the Katusha team.
Stefan Schumacher and Bernhard Kohl of team Gerolsteiner tested positive for CERA, a form of EPO in October 2008, as Michael clearly mentioned that he will continue to have a zero tolerance policy against doping in the sport.
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