After the extremely successful year 2018 with a total of 58 podium places, the 11 cycling pros are looking to win numerous day and round trips again this year.
The highlight of the 2019 racing season is the 71st International Tour of Austria, which will take place from 6 to 12 July. Here, the professionals from Wels have their sights set on a stage victory and a place among the top 5 in the overall standings. In addition, even after Ricci Zoidl’s move to the World Tour, the cycling pros from Wels want to defend last year’s victory in the German Cycling League and achieve successes in international tours.
The squad consists of 11 professional cyclists in total and is made up of top cyclists and strong young talents. As there are 6 U-23 riders in the squad this year, international U-23 races will be an important new focus. “With a total of 58 podium places, we have exceeded all expectations in 2018. This year it will be difficult to achieve a similar result after the departure of Ricci Zoidl. However, the team still has the potential to win big rounds”, RSW managing director Daniel Repitz emphasizes. Now the team presentation 2019 took place in front of hundreds of enthusiastic visitors during the Bike Festival Austria in Wels.
A strong team will be at the start of a total of 100 race days in 2019. A prominent new addition to the professional cyclists from Wels is the Slovenian Andi Bajc, the 30-year-old experienced and all-rounder has set himself the goal of top positions and has already won the Austrian Cycling League twice. Another strong rider is the Tyrolean Benjamin Brkic: The 22-year-old top rider comes from the Tyrol Cycling Team and is considered one of the biggest hopes for young talents in Austria. With the three 18-year-old Paul Bleyer from Sankt Peter-Freienstein/Styria, Fabian Steininger from Grieskirchen/Upper Austria and the young German hopeful Tim Wollenberg from Stadtbergen/Bavaria further promising young cyclists could be signed. The 21-year-old Jan Koller from Vienna has great potential and completes the Wels team. In Wels these riders will be optimally looked after and gently introduced to the absolute cycling elite.
Together with the triple 2018 Tour Winners Stephan Rabitsch (27 years old, winner of the Paris Arras Tour, Rhone Alpes Isere Tour and Upper Austria Tour), Matthias Krizek (30 years old, Vuelta participant and winner of the 2018 Wels City Criterium), Daniel Lehner (winner of the mountain classification at the 2018 Tour of Antalya), local hero Florian Kierner from Buchkirchen near Wels (6th place) and the newcomers will be the newcomers. Place U-19 World Championships and winner Int. Junior Tour 2017) and the strong German young rider Matthias Mangertseder an internationally competitive team.
