Georg Steinhauser has signed a contract with EF Education-Nippo with the 19-year-old set to combine his WorldTour dreams with education next year as he continues his metalwork apprenticeship.
Steinhauser, who has ridden for the Tirol-KTM Cycling team this year, has enjoyed a highly successful campaign. He finished third at the recent Il Piccolo Lombardia, took second place on GC at the Tour of Bulgaria, claimed a stage win at the Giro Ciclistico della Valle d’Acosta-Mont Blanc, and a second-place on the final stage at the Tour de l’Avenir.
“I go quite well over the mountains. My time trials are not too bad. I prefer long and hard races, especially stage races. I like that they don't depend on just one moment and I think they suit me better as a rider," Steinhauser said in a statement issued by his future team.
“I’m a little afraid of making mistakes,” he admits. “But that’s why I always give my best. When I decide to do something, I am 100 per cent in.”
Most riders in his position would postpone further education and studying for a trade, but Steinhauser is committed to completing his apprenticeship over the next 12 months.
“I work everyday from 7am to 12:30pm. In the afternoon, I’m out on the bike. That’s how I manage it. It’s a bit busy," he said.
Steinhauser comes from a family with a deep cycling heritage. His father, Tobias, was a pro during the 1990s and early 2000s and rode for several major teams including T-Mobile, Mapei, and Coast. Tobias Steinhauser's sister, Sara, married Jan Ullrich in 2006 with the pair separating in2017.
Team boss Jonathan Vaughters praised his new signing, stating that the 19-year-old had the physical attributes and the mental fortitude to make it in the WorldTour environment.
“Georg is, I think, potentially the most talented Under-23 rider in the world right now,” Vaughters said.
“That doesn’t mean that he’s the best Under-23 rider in the world right now. The thing to understand about Georg is that his father was a professional cyclist and his father was very insistent that Georg finish his schooling before he dedicates himself to cycling, which is actually very rare in the world of cycling.
"Georg has been sort of a part-time cyclist and has a very limited race schedule because he’s had to complete his trade school. I basically came to an agreement with his agent and his dad that we are going to allow him to complete his studies."
Of course he’s going to race with the team, but there are going to be moments where if he needs to have a little time away to complete schoolwork, and we’re going to work with him on that," added Vaughters.
"Don’t underestimate him. I think maybe his talent will be a little bit slow in surfacing because of the fact that he’s still working on being a student. But make no mistake, I think he ends up being on a slower trajectory but I think he ends up being one of the top stage racers in the world.”
As well as putting 'Education First' and backing Steinhauser's apprenticeship, the German is looking forward to his new environment, where he'll learn what it takes to make it as a WorldTour rider.
"I’m very excited to ride beside my teammates and learn from them. I want to make as few mistakes as possible. Even in the moments when things aren’t going well, I still see the good and find opportunities to learn. I want to improve from year to year, from season to season, but it’s definitely a goal to win races," he said.
