The future of German Cycling: the Young Guns

By Susan Westemeyer

As Germany's hard hitters in the cycling world prepare to step aside for their apprentices to take the spotlight, a third generation of riders is waiting in the wings to fly the nation's flag

The big names in German cycling are Jan Ullrich, Erik Zabel and Jens Voigt - ranging in age from 32 to 36, and all looking to the end of their careers. It has long been predicted that Ullrich's retirement would mean the end of pro cycling in Germany, but a number of new names and fresh young faces have appeared on the scene to spark new interest – Stefan Schumacher, Fabian Wegmann and Patrik Sinkewitz, for example. At 25 to 26-years-old, with four or five years' professional experience behind them, they are coming into their prime.

But that also means that they should start looking over the shoulders, as the next generation of young riders looks to establish itself. Cyclingnews will look at three of these young up-and-coming Germans, one from each of the German (or half-German) ProTour teams, and follow them over the coming season as they seek to make their names and establish their reputations.

Milram's Marcel Sieberg

Team Milram will see the ProTour debut of Marcel Sieberg in 2007. The tall redhead is excited about his debut with the outfit. "It has always been my goal to ride in the ProTour. I'm even happier because this dream is coming true with Team Milram, because I have a lot of friends there and will surely feel comfortable there." The decision to sign with the Italian-German team was easy, he said, "because I always liked the team and the riders."

The main attraction for the sprinter is, naturally, the big-name sprinters at Milram: Alessando Petacchi and Erik Zabel. "They are both world-class riders. Plus Erik is an extremely good one-day racer," said the 24-year-old. "Both of them are very experienced and have lots of wins, and I hope that they will help me develop."

To read more about Seiberg in the full feature, click here.