Climber returns after one year at Quick Step
The American team UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling has announced that Marc de Maar will rejoin the squad for the 2012 season, after the Curaçao national champion finishes his first season with Quick Step. After spending four years as a professional with Rabobank, De Maar went to the American team for a season, before transferring to Quick Step this year. De Maar sounds pleased to be heading back to the comforts of his former American team.
“I am very happy to be rejoining the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team,” he said in a press release. “Since I left the team in 2010, [team director] Mike (Tamayo), Rory (Sutherland) and I stayed in touch on and off. Team UnitedHealthcare is world class in everything they do. I had a great experience with them when I was a member and I knew that one day I would rejoin them. I am looking forward to the next two years and being part of their cycling family again. Plus, I really miss those American oatmeal raisin cookies!”
De Maar, who was recently granted the right to wear the national colors of Curaçao as the road race and time trial champion of the country, is currently racing in the Vuelta a España. He finished tenth on stage thirteen to Ponferrada. Apart from that, it has been a relatively quiet season for De Maar but, along with his nationals wins, he can also boast a twelfth overall at the Volta a Catalunya and a fifteenth at the Tour of Oman. Though he spent only one season with Quick Step, he exits on good terms.
“The reason I left (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team) last year was simply because I wanted to be part of the European peloton,” De Maar explained. “Right now, I’m racing in the Vuelta for Quick Step and after somewhat of a rough start, things are starting to come together. I was close to a stage win a few days ago and I’m going to keep racing hard and try to win a stage as a tribute to my team with Quick Step in the final week of the Vuelta. My experience with Quick Step has been great and I will continue to work hard to finish the season strong.”
“We are very excited to have Marc back as part of our family,” Tamayo stated. “He is a true professional and a perfect fit for our team, especially with his great attitude and his style of racing. We know we can get a lot out of him and motivate him to some victories.”
In what is annually one of UnitedHealthcare’s biggest showcases, the Tour of California, De Maar finished 13th when he raced for the team in 2010. As it continues to get invited to bigger races, including the Tour of Britain this year, the team will look to De Maar for more results.
“Marc is a tremendous individual and we are very excited about this,” team president Thierry Attias said. “Our goal is to continue to grow and build this team in a smart and strategic manner and keep making smart decisions when it comes to the riders and staff we hire.”