Team Gerolsteiner facts for kids
| Team information | |
|---|---|
| UCI code | GST |
| Registered |  Germany |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Disbanded | 2008 |
| Discipline(s) | Road |
| Status | ProTour |
| Key personnel | |
| General manager | Reimund Dietzen |
| Team name history | |
|
1997–1998
1999–2008 |
Schauff Oeschelbronn
Gerolsteiner |
Team Gerolsteiner (UCI Team Code: GST) was a professional German road bicycle racing team. They were part of the UCI ProTour, which is the highest level of professional cycling races. The team was sponsored by the drinks company Gerolsteiner Brunnen and the bike company "Specialized".
The Gerolsteiner team started in 1998. Their first manager was Hans-Michael Holczer, and Rolf Gölz and Christian Henn were the sports directors. In 2001, a famous rider named Georg Totschnig joined the team. This helped Gerolsteiner become a top-level team. In 2003, the team raced in the famous Tour de France for the very first time.
Contents
Top Riders and Big Wins
One of the team's best riders was Georg Totschnig. He was known as an excellent climber, meaning he was very good at cycling up steep mountains. He often finished in the top 10 in the Tour de France.
Georg Totschnig's Amazing Stage Win
In 2005, Georg Totschnig achieved a huge victory. He won Stage 14 of the Tour de France! This stage included a very tough 15-kilometer climb called the Port de Pailhères. It was a very steep climb, going up to 2000 meters high. Totschnig was the first Austrian rider to win a Tour de France stage since 1931.
New Leaders for the Team
Georg Totschnig retired from cycling in 2007. Another rider, Levi Leipheimer, also left the team to join the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team. After this, Gerolsteiner looked to younger riders to lead the team. Markus Fothen and Stefan Schumacher became the main riders for the team in the 2007 Tour de France.
Team Achievements
The Gerolsteiner team had several important wins during its time. They showed their strength in both individual races and team events.
- 1st place in the Team classification at the Deutschland Tour 2006. This means they were the best team overall in that race.
- 1st place in the 2005 Eindhoven Team Time Trial. This was a special race where the whole team rode together against the clock.
End of the Team
In September 2007, the main sponsor, Gerolsteiner, announced that they would no longer support the team. Because of this, the Gerolsteiner cycling team stopped racing in 2008.
Images for kids
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Team Gerolsteiner riders with CSC rider Jens Voigt during the 2006 Tour de France
See also
In Spanish: Gerolsteiner (equipo ciclista) para niños
