After Harald Totschnig retired, we were looking for a new figurehead for the young drivers in 2014. We needed a team captain who, through his success and many years of experience, would encourage the young drivers in the team and at the same time ensure success. With the Upper Austrian Josef Benetseder, we have brought one of the most successful Austrian cyclists to the Tirol Cycling Team. Josef was born in 1983 and was, among other things, the winner of the mountain jersey at the Tour of Austria in 2010. Most recently he stopped mountain biking and won several stages of the 2013 Crocodile Trophy – one of the toughest MTB stage races in the world.
He would also like to make a corresponding contribution to the team. "I want to win some UCI races this year”, Josef says motivated. "That's definitely the big goal. I will tackle the Tour of Austria aggressively, maybe I'll manage one or the other top 10 placement. As an Upper Austrian, the Oberösterreich Tour is very important to me and I would like to present myself very strongly here.”
At the same time, he is also aware of his new role: “My role as team captain is definitely the biggest difference. In addition to my personal goals, this year I want to make sure that every driver gets their chance. It's no longer about me winning, it's about the whole team developing." Josef is certain that he will quickly find his way into the role of team captain. "At my age you don't have such long-term goals in cycling anymore. No, seriously: In the long term I would like to maintain my level and still win one or the other UCI race. The focus is certainly on developing into a kind of “playing captain” in the Tirol Cycling Team and passing on my experiences.”