Last weekend, the Katusha-Alpecin team not only presented its new drivers – above all the sprint god Marcel Kittel – but also the new jersey for the coming season. With Marcel Kittel, the Katusha sprint train gets a new locomotive and the team around Tony Martin and Ilnur Zakarin a great addition. But Kittel is not coming alone: there are a total of seven new faces at Katusha-Alpecin in 2018: Marcel Kittel, Ian Boswell (Sky), Alex Dowsett (Movistar), Nathan Hass (Dimension Data) and the three young talents Willie Smit, Matteo Fabbro and Steff Cras.
TEAM KATUSHA-ALPECIN Team Presentation 2018: Kittel the new star of the team
Without a doubt: Marcel Kittel attracts the most attention in the Katusha-Alpecin team. The Thuringian drove for the sponsor Alpecin a few years ago. With his striking blond hairstyle, he is predestined to win for a shampoo manufacturer. He impressively proved that he can do that at the last Tour de France. He was able to record a total of five stage wins for himself and his former team, Quick-Step Floors. That would have given him a very realistic chance of winning the green jersey. However, an unfortunate crash put him out of the race early on. In an interview during the team presentation, he made it clear that further stage victories in the Tour de France have top priority for him in the coming year. A special look is given to the yellow jersey at the start. That would be the absolute highlight for Kittel. He and classification driver Ilnur Zakarin will lead the team, supported by just six helpers. A challenge that has it all.
TEAM KATUSHA-ALPECIN Team Presentation 2018: Tour of Germany as a highlight
Another goal of the season for Kittel is the new Germany tour in August. The other German boys in the squad are also happy about the home game. It feels like Team Katusha Alpecin has become even more “German” with the new addition. However, Kittel emphatically stated that what counts for him is the cohesion of the entire team and not any national identities of the drivers. Kittel is particularly happy about his new set of wheels from Canyon. He found his way around the Aeroad and the Ultimate after a short period of getting used to it. When asked "disc or rim?" he calmly answered "both." The reason for him: He is probably particularly impressed by the interaction of the Sram group on the Canyon frame and the Sram disc brakes. He will definitely continue to use rim brakes, but sees their use limited to stages with mountain finishes and large climbs when it is important to carry as little weight as possible into orbit.
TEAM KATUSHA-ALPECIN Team Presentation 2018: Tony Martin motivates for the new season
We also had the opportunity to speak to Tony Martin and ask him about his new teammates, the past season and his plans for the year ahead. Martin will keep his focus on the time trial, but he will also try to put his stamp on the classics. Paris-Roubaix is one of his big goals for the season. Furthermore, the Giro d'Italia in May and the following Tour de France are at the top. The Giro should by no means only serve as a warm-up for the tour. Martin wants to win stages there. And anyone who knows Tony Martin knows how seriously and eagerly he pursues his goals. His very high goals and the associated hardness towards himself, coupled with a good pinch of bad luck (e.g. at the rainy start of the tour in Frankfurt) unfortunately gave him anything but great success last year. This did not go unnoticed by him and you could tell Martin's disappointment in the interview. His balance for 2017: "rather sobering." In his own words, he blames "overambitious goals" and "too much training" for the fact that he got into a kind of "negative spiral" and the corresponding desired results did not materialize. In the interview he indicated that in the coming year he definitely wanted to train less hard and be a little more relaxed. Of course, the question arises as to how this statement corresponds to his very ambitious goals. Spring classics, Tour de France and Giro: That certainly sounds like more work, not less. Tony Martin sees new signing Marcel Kittel as a great asset for Katusha-Alpecin. No wonder, because the newcomer is not only considered the best sprinter in the world, but is also a friend of Martin's. Both have ridden together for years on Team Quick-Step.
Overall, the Katusha-Alpecin team makes a very promising impression in the new line-up for 2018. The motivation and the sense of togetherness among the drivers and the staff is clearly noticeable. The preparations are in full swing and I suspect the distinctive jerseys will be seen frequently in the front in the coming season.
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