Since the beginning of the year, the professional cycling team from Wels has had a new main sponsor in Pierer New Mobility AG with the bicycle brand Felt. The new Felt Felbermayr team has been reinforced with numerous top drivers and is entering the new racing season with great expectations. The most prominent reinforcements are Hermann Pernsteiner and Sebastian Schönberger, two Austrian cyclists from the World Tour and ProConti Tour respectively, with some of the other new riders also having ProConti experience. But not just established drivers, some of the top local talents were also signed by the Wels team. With a total of 16 professional cyclists, the team has increased significantly compared to the previous year. The racing program will also be significantly expanded this year; the team wishes to achieve numerous successes in international and national tours and one-day races. The season kicks off this year with the Tour of Sharjah (UCI 2.2) in the UAE from 26-31 January 2024. The highlight of the domestic racing season is the Tour of Austria in July and the increasingly important Int. Raiffeisen Oberösterreich Tour in June 2024. “We want to cause an international sensation with our top team with an offensive driving style,” emphasizes race director Rupert Hödlmoser.
The Wels professional cycling team has been successful as a continental team for many years. The fair city team has been present in the Conti League at various races in Europe since 2005. The new bicycle brand Felt now opens up new sporting perspectives. Bicycle manufacturer Felt is based in the USA and France. The contract was concluded for a period of several years. The company Felbermayr remains as main co-sponsor. “The entire FELT Bicycles team is very proud to support the Austria-based Felt Felbermayr team. Together, we hope to ride towards a future characterized by passion, performance and, hopefully, countless victories”, emphasizes Florian Burguet, General Director of FELT Bicycles.
“We at Radsport Wels GmbH are also looking forward to working together in the coming years. In 2024 we will still compete with a Conti license, but we will expand our racing calendar and participate in many important UCI races and tours”, emphasizes Daniel Repitz, General Director of Radsport Wels GmbH.
Driven by aerodynamic innovation, materials science, rider optimization and sheer speed, Pierer New Mobility has enabled the world's best athletes to win countless World Championships, Grand Tour stage victories and gold medals. PIERER New Mobility, a PIERER Mobility AG company, defined by innovation, advanced technology and leading design. With its portfolio of premium brands, PIERER New Mobility relies on a strong global sales network as well as the passion and experience of the two-wheel industry.
8 new additions to Team Felt Felbermayr for the 2024 racing season
Hermann PERNSTEINER
The most prominent new addition to Wels' team is Hermann Pernsteiner from Burgenland. The 33-year-old has been with Team Bahrain-Victorious on the World Tour for six years. The mountain specialist celebrated his greatest successes with overall victory in the 2017 Tour of Azerbaijan, a place in the 2nd stage of the 2020 Giro d'Italia and a place in the 3rd stage of the 2021 Tour de Suisse. He also showed great results in the Tour de A Austria in 2018 came in 2nd place overall. Pernsteiner comes to the Wels team highly motivated and wants to help the fair town team achieve great success this year with his skills and experience.
Sebastian SCHÖNBERGER
Another new top driver arrives in Wels from the ProConti League. Sebastian Schönberger from Innviertel worked for the Human Powered Health Team in 2023 and was previously an important key player for the B&B Hotels Team for three years. His biggest successes so far have been a 3rd place overall at the 2021 Tour de Vandee, he also took 3rd place overall at the 2019 Tour of Albania and was fifth overall at the 2018 Czech Cycling Tour. The 29-year-old wants to achieve big results. success this year with the drive in by the Felt Felbermayr team.
Patryk STOSZ
With Polish Patryk Stosz, the Welser team signed a strong sprinter to have the best possible chances of victory, even in flat one-day races or stages. The 29-year-old rookie has already won numerous UCI races in recent years and also took overall victory at the Tour of Bulgaria. In 2023 he won the Porec Trophy and the 3rd stage of the Tour of Bulgaria. His participation in the 2023 Tour of Austria was sensational, where Stosz, as a true sprinter, managed to win the tour's general mountain classification.
Pyotr BROZYNA
With Piotr Brozyna from Poland, a strong mountain specialist joins the fair city team. The 28-year-old from the city of Kielce has already achieved several top rankings and has played for Polish team CCC in the ProConti League. The 1.92 meter tall professional cyclist competed for his country at the 2023 World Cycling Championships in Glasgow and provided valuable service to his captain Michael Kwiatkowski. This year, Brozyna also achieved an excellent 2nd place at the Slovak GP and finished the 2023 Tour de Malopolska in a strong 5th place overall.
Tom Wirtgen
Luxembourgish Tom Wirtgen, 27, arrives in Wels after a few years in the ProConti League and has already achieved several top results: he reached the podium in UCI races in France and Portugal, among others. At the start of the 2019 Tour of Austria, he narrowly missed the podium with fourth place. While still a junior, he made a big impression with fourth place at the World Championships in the individual time trial in Norway. The 1.91 meter tall rider has many qualities as an all-rounder and Wirtgen is always a force to be reckoned with in individual time trials.
Miguel HEIDEMANN
This year, 25-year-old Miguel Heidemann from Bonn achieved an excellent second place in the individual time trial in the elite class of the German Championship and finished in 20th place in this discipline at the 2022 World Championship. He finished the Tour du Jura in 9th place overall in 2023. Another important result was 6th place in the previous year's German Road Championships. The main objective of the season is to win the UCI race and participate in the Tour of Austria.
Dominik HÖDLMOSER
18-year-old great talent Dominik Hödlmoser from Plainfeld comes from mountain biking and has set himself the goal of setting major racing highlights in his first season on the road. “Cycling is my great passion. The switch from mountain biking to road biking is a big change that I look forward to with great enthusiasm,” says Hödlmoser. With the Welser team, participants in the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships will find ideal conditions. Its strengths lie in technically difficult routes and longer climbs.
Julian PÖCHACKER
Lower Austrian Julian Pöchacker was already Austrian junior cross-country champion and came 21st at the European Cross-Country Championships. This year he secured victory on the 60 kilometer course in the difficult Salzkammergut Trophy 2023. In the Austrian Mountain Championships he also showed a top performance and managed to reach 10th place. The 1.85 meter tall driver has his strengths on hilly and technically demanding courses.
Contracts with 8 drivers were extended
Riccardo ZOIDL
Riccardo Zoidl is one of the most successful professional cyclists in Austrian cycling and will also compete for the Messestadt team in 2024. The Upper Austrian caused a sensation in 2013 with his victory on the Austrian cycling circuit – which was also his stepping stone to the world circuit: he he was involved on the world tour for four years with Team Trek and the Polish team CCC. The 35-year-old professional cyclist is still a top rider and missed the podium by just a few seconds at the Tour of Upper Austria with 5th place overall.
Michael KKRLE
With Michael Kukrle from the Czech Republic, an outright winning rider extended his stay with the professional cyclists from Wels. The 28 year old managed to win a total of 3 UCI races this year (two in Poland, one in Italy) and has since won the yellow jersey at the Friuli-Venezia Tour. Michale Kukrle has his strengths on difficult and hilly routes.
Emanuel ZANGERLE
Emanuel Zangerle from Tirol showed excellent performances in 2023 and won the Bundesliga race in Wieselburg and came second in the road race in Braunau. He also won the sprint jersey at the Tour of Istanbul in 2023. The 23-year-old surprised everyone with his best results. Zangerle is a diamond in the rough and has his strengths especially on technically demanding routes.
Felix Ritzinger
The Viennese is one of the most versatile riders in the Welser team and was crowned the first Austrian gravel champion in 2023. Ritzinger also competed for Austria in two competitions at the 2023 World Cycling Championships in Glasgow – both on the track and on the road: with 12th place in Madison, he and his partner have every chance of qualifying for the Olympic qualifying Games in Paris. The 26-year-old professional cyclist also made a big impression on the road this year and took the runner-up title at the Austrian State Championships in the individual time trial against strong competition from the World Tour.
Matthias REUTIMANN
The 28-year-old Swiss rider Matthias Reutimann has his strengths especially in difficult and bumpy races and has managed to show good results in several races this year. At the end of the season he showed his class again in the Tour of Istanbul 2023 with a place in the 6th stage of the 3rd stage. He was also a very important support in the Messestadt team in this year's Tour of Austria.
Jakob PURSCHELLER
The 19-year-old achieved his first top-10 finish in a UCI race with an 8th place in the final race of the 2023 season, the Tour of Istanbul. Jakob Purtscheller comes from his own descent and has his strengths in sprints and as an individual time trialist. “The jump from juniors to elite was a big challenge for me this year. I want to evolve even further in 2024 and achieve great success with the team,” said Purtscheller.
Daniel FEDERSPLAY
Daniel Federspiel also extended his contract. The two-time world champion in the mountain bike eliminator is versatile and a guarantee of success: in 2023, the Tyrolean won the title of the Austrian cyclocross championship and important races in Tyrol and Salzburg, where he prevailed in the City Hill Climb against the hero of the Tour de France Felix Gall. Federspiel also showed superior performance in the cycling league and came second in the cherry blossom race. In total, “Feder” achieved 21 race victories, 14 additional podium places and 4 Austrian championship titles in his 3 years with the Welser team.
Josef DIRNBAUER
Josef Dirnbauer from Langenwang in Styria will also cycle for Messestadt residents next year. The 1.73 meter tall rider became Austrian Amateur Road Champion in 2021. His best results to date include an 8th place in the national championships in the individual time trial and, more recently, a 14th place in the 4th stage from the Tour de Istanbul 2023 stand. . In his third year as a professional cyclist, he really wants to start in 2024.
Top-notch support team from Team Felt Felbermayr
The team contests the 2024 racing season with Rupert HÖDLMOSER as sporting director, who approaches the job with great ambitions in his second year in this role. The 35-year-old from St. Gilgen managed to win several races in his active career. “It would be a dream to be in the top ten in the Europe Tour team rankings,” says Rupert Hödlmoser, who has big goals. The coaching team is complemented by Philipp BACHL: As supervising coach, the former best cross-country skier analyzes the current development of athletes' performance. In addition, he advises professional cyclists on all sports science issues. “With the supervising coach, we have a better and scientific view of the development of the drivers' performance”, emphasizes Rupert Hödlmoser.
The support team plays a key role in success
In addition to the quality of the riders, a key success factor for the Wels professional cycling team is the professional environment: two race managers, two mechanics and five masseurs working alternately ensure that the professional cyclists are well looked after before, during and after the races. In the 2023 racing season, the Felbermayr Express was in use for a total of 100 race days and covered more than 35,000 kilometers of racing and training. “This intensity cannot be managed without a perfectly coordinated team of supervisors”, says Rupert Hödlmoser.
Preparations for the 2024 racing season are in full swing
Preparations for the 2024 motorcycle racing season are in full swing. In December 2023, the team completed a 10-day training camp in Croatia, in addition to individual driver preparation. Unfortunately, the internship was marked by a serious traffic accident that was not our fault, with 3 cyclists injured. All affected drivers are returning and making full recoveries.
The Welser team opens the racing season in the UAE at the end of January 2024
Professional cyclists from Wels are starting the racing season much earlier this year than in previous years. From January 26th to 31st, 2024, professional cyclists will compete in the Tour of Sharjah (UCI 2.2), in the United Arab Emirates. This is followed by an intensive training block before the Istrian Spring Trophy in Croatia and the Tour of Rhodes in Greece continue in late February/early March 2024.
The most important race in Austria this year will be the Tour of Austria from July 3 to 7, 2024, but also the increasingly important Int. The Wels team wants to present the Raiffeisen Upper Austria Tour in mid-June. The national racing season begins with the season-opening race in Leonding on March 24, 2024. This race also marks the start of the National Cycling League. “We want to be at the front right at the start of the season and get our first victory of the season in the Bundesliga home race in Leonding,” emphasizes Hödlmoser. The fair city's professional cyclists also want to be ahead in their home race – the traditional cherry blossom race in Wels on April 28, 2024, which will be held as a UCI race for the first time this year.
Felbermayr remains an important sponsor
The company Felbermayr from Wels was the main sponsor of the fair city's cycling team from 2015 to 2023. The Wels-based heavy goods construction and logistics company remains on board as main sponsor. “Cycling has always had a special fascination for us. We support the Wels professional cycling team because the RSW offers professional conditions and top performance. The team spirit is excellent and the promotion of young talents is also very important for us”, highlights the General Director Dipl.-Ing. Horst Felbermayr.
RSW GmbH ensures a good economic base: promoting young talent is of great importance
RSW GmbH (Rad Sport Wels) is behind the success of the Wels cycling team: shareholders Daniel Repitz, Harald Benesch and Paul Resch have set themselves the goal of increasing the status of cycling in Austria. Wels has also had great success in supporting young talent. Young cyclists are well looked after and carefully introduced to cycling's elite. The ideal combination of established professional cyclists and local talent contributes to this. In recent years, many professional cyclists have managed to move up to World Tour teams. These riders unanimously underline the importance of the period in Wels for their sporting and personal development. “With the professional environment in Wels, we are creating the ideal conditions for the development of drivers and commitment to top international teams,” says RSW managing director Daniel Repitz.
About FELT:
FELT Bicycles is a leading manufacturer of high-performance bicycles known for its commitment to innovation, technology and the pursuit of speed. With a rich history and a great passion for cycling, FELT Bicycles continually pushes the boundaries to create bikes that enhance the riding experience. Whether on the road or gravel, Felt Bicycles offers a diverse selection of road bikes designed to inspire cyclists around the world.
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Image 1-2: The Felt Felbermayr Wels team enters the 2024 racing season with high expectations
Image 3: Florian Burguet, General Director of Felt Bicycles (right) with professional cyclist Sebastian Schönberger (left)