German rider to aim for Classics and rainbow jersey
The highly successful rider Ina Yoko Teutenberg has put any thoughts of retirement on hold, agreeing a two year deal to remain with the HTC-Highroad team until the end of 2012.
“I still have fun and I’m doing well in lots of bike races, so why would I want to stop?” Teutenberg said, confirming her decision to keep going. “And I’ve got a great relationship with the team, so there was no reason to look elsewhere. At the same time, it’s very satisfying to be in a position to help out the team’s younger riders, giving them advice and guidance and seeing them develop.”
Teutenberg, the rider with the most victories in 2009 and again this season, plans to target the world road race championships next season. She is one of the quickest sprinters in the bunch but has lost out due to the rolling parcours of recent years. The course in Copenhagen will suit her far better, though, and she will structure her season with that in mind.
“Next year I’ll be aiming to do well in the Spring Classics, and then re-boot later in the season so I can build up again for the World Championships: I think the Danish course will suit me very well,” she said.
Teutenberg recently turned 36 but is showing little sign of slowing down. She took 24 wins this season, amongst them four stages of the women’s Giro d’Italia, three in the Tour de l’Aude, a stage win plus the overall in the Redlands Classic in the USA, and three stages plus the overall in the Tour of Chongming Island World Cup race.
She also clocked up a similar number of wins in 2009, and has the speed, determination and appetite for success of a far younger competitor.
Team directeur sportif Ronny Lauke said that she is continuously trying to improve and that this is a big part of her success.
“Ina is an extremely dedicated and experienced rider who is passionate about her sport, and she’s a great example for our young riders,” he said. “She’s also continuing to develop in all sorts of ways, steadily improving her climbing while maintaining her sprinting and winning top Classics like the Tour of Flanders in 2009. The reason why she wants to keep going is simple: she likes riding her bike and once she is riding her bike she wants to beat the others.”
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VeloNation is pleased to confirm that Ina Yoko Teutenberg will be writing a blog for the site during the 2011 season. The first entry will appear soon.