The Multivan Merida Biking Team has signed Austrian Robert Gehbauer, who won the junior world championships in Livigno in 2005 and then went on the secure both the world and European junior championship titles in the sport of winter triathlon.
Gehbauer joins other the rest of the team, which remains unchanged from last year: Cyclingnews' diarist Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa, Nina Göhl, Ralph Näf, José Hermida, and Moritz Milatz. The team will meet at its first training camp in Mallorca in February.
"I’m greatly looking forward to this fantastic opportunity," said the 19-year-old Gehbauer. "In years to come, I want to learn as much as possible from these top athletes. And if possible I’d like to follow them in their footsteps of course." Team manager Andreas Rottler hopes Gehbauer will give the team a strong presence in the U23 category.
The team’s two world champions, Dahle Flesjaa and Näf, are preparing for the upcoming season in South Africa, while Hermida is competing in cyclo-cross for the first time. Milatz is currently preparing for upcoming races in Cyprus, and Göhl is training and studying at home in Freiburg, Germany.
