German had troublesome season, but team knows his value
Bert Grabsch had his first winless season since 2006, but his contract with HTC Columbia was already renewed in the summer for the coming two seasons. Grabsch reflected on his less-than-ideal season in an interview with Radsport News.
He was quick to admit disappointment. “The year did not go as I had imagined.” Early season health issues prevented him from getting going as wanted. “I had a middle ear inflammation end of February, so the spring was over,” he said. In June he crashed while warming up for the prologue of the Dauphiné Libéré, bruising some ribs. This hindered him enough to get only fourth place at the German time trial championships, behind Tony Martin, Patrick Gretsch and Jens Voigt.
Not getting a medal at German Nationals after winning consecutively from 2007 to 2009 was certainly a disappointment. “I had a lot of bad luck and so for me personally I could not obtain a super result,” he summed up his season. He still was happy with third place at the Tour de France time trial and the fourth place at the time trial in the Three Days of De Panne.
Grabsch was very busy with working for his teammates, often lacking the freshness for his own highlights. “But I did my domestique work very well.” He helped André Greipel win another Tour Down Under, was alongside Michael Rogers for his Tour of California victory and helped ensure Tony Martin’s Eneco Tour win. Last but not least he formed part of the HTC Columbia squad that propelled Mark Cavendish to five Tour de France stage victories.
HTC Columbia knows that despite not winning, Grabsch is a very valuable asset to the team and extended his contract already in the summer for two seasons. In 2011, he is scheduled for a similar program than in the past – Tour Down Under, Tour de France and the time trial World Championships in Copenhagen. “The course in Denmark favors me,” which couldn’t be said for the Geelong parcours. He was only 11th at the Worlds this year, a result the 2008 time trial World Champion is not used to.