Russian team with at least 10 riders out of contract next year
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Team manager Viatcheslav Ekimov on stage with his team(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Katusha go one-two with Alex Kristoff and Marco Haller on stage 1(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Joaquim Rodríguez leads Katusha at the Dauphiné(Image credit: Sirotti)
Team Katusha during stage 19 at the Giro d'Italia(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Team Katusha in action during the Dauphine's team time trial.(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Katusha team boss Viatcheslav Ekimov after the stage(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
They are enjoying arguably their best-ever season but Katusha team boss Viatcheslav Ekimov has little time to bask in any glory as he attempts to secure the long-term future of the team.
The Russian outfit’s WorldTour licence expires at the end of this season and although they have signed Classics hitman Alexander Kristoff for a further two seasons, Ekimov has at least 10 riders, including Joaquim Rodriguez, out of contract at the end of the year. To add to Ekimov’s in-tray he must also secure a confirmed sponsorship from Katusha for next year.
"This year we started a new procedure with the licence so we have no problem with sponsor commitments and we have a bright future," Ekimov optimistically told Cyclingnews at the Critérium du Dauphiné.
"Balancing that can be challenging but I think it’s logical, at least in our team. The support group for each rider can help both our leaders."
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Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.
