Georg Totschnig retired from professional cycling at the end of the 2006 season, but he hasn't turned his back on the sport. The Tour de France stage winner is now involved in helping to set up an U23 team in Austria.
"We are establishing a team which can count on the support of the state of Tirol and which will be its sponsor," he said in an interview with Sport1.at. "I have the role of an advisor." So far, he noted, "I am supporting business manager Thomas Pupp in his search for sponsors and with the organization."
They are concentrating on the U23 age group for a reason. "It is our goal to close the gap between juniors and professionals, because there has never been an U23 Team in this form in Tirol. We won't have anything to do with the ProTour. We will stay in the U23 area. The next three years are already assured."
The Austrian admitted that the search for additional sponsors "is not easy, but possible. And especially in times like these, it is important to set a sign. I was happy when I was asked to help with this project because it is exactly what I can do to help this sport."
