Russian team holds on to homegrown talent
Team Katusha extended contracts for four Russians that ride for their home ProTour squad. Pavel Brutt, Denis Galimzyanov, Mikhail Ignatiev and Nikolay Trusov have all been given the green light to ride for the team through the 2011 season. All but Galimzyanov were a part of the original Tinkoff Credit Systems squad that evolved into the current Katusha formation two years ago.
Brutt is the only one of the four riders not to secure a podium spot thus far in 2009, with Trusov’s second place in stage five of the Four Days of Dunkirk his best result. Ignatiev rode to victory early in the season in stage six of Tirreno-Adriatico and finished second in the time trial at the Russian national championships to teammate Vladimir Gusev. Galimzyanov recently won a stage at the Vuelta a Burgos, and put in strong performances at the Tour of Belgium, the Ster Elektrotoer and the Brixia Tour.