German hoping for a solid squad with a decent race programme
Bizarrely still without a contract despite a solid season last year, former Tour de France yellow jersey wearer Linus Gerdemann has insisted that hope is not lost in terms of getting a team.
The 30 year old German was left short when his RadioShack Nissan team decided not to renew. Thus far he hasn’t been able to find anything else yet although it’s now January, he refuses to consider retirement or taking a year out.
Asked if he thinks he can still find a good team, he’s clear: “As of today, yes,” he told WN.de.
Gerdemann won a stage of the 2007 Tour de France and led the race, and also won the Deutschland Tour in 2008, Bayern Rundfarht in 2009 and the Tour of Luxembourg in 2011. Last year may not have brought any victories but he was second in the German road race championships, fifth overall in the Tour of Poland and eighth in the Vuelta a Castilla y León.
For that reason, he said that he won’t settle for just anything. “I still have certain demands. I want to contest decent races, get a good race programme. I won’t do a desperate signing.”
Still, many of the available places on teams have been filled at this point. Given that Gerdemann has world ranking points, the prime time to secure a slot would have been when teams were still seeking riders with points to help ensure they would have WorldTour licences for 2013.
That point has come and gone and so his leverage has been reduced, but the fact remains that he is a talented rider who could pick up big results in 2013 and beyond.
“The situation is not pleasant, not a good situation,” he admits. “But I have some contacts.” One effect of the situation is that he has ended his dealings with the agent Christian Baumer, although there is no criticism in either direction.
Gerdemann is now training on the roads around his home in the south of France, working hard in order to ensure he’s in the right condition to take up an offer if and when it comes. He’d clearly like to know where he stands and to have a good squad, a decent contract and a planned race programme at this point in time, but he’ll keep moving forward on the bike.
“I have to wait, be patient, even if it’s hard,” he said, not losing hope.