Volksbank signs Polish champion

by Susan Westemeyer

Team Volksbank has signed the Polish road champion Mariusz Witecki to a one-year contract, the Austrian Professional Continental team announced Friday. The 25-year-old, who rode last season for the Polish Continental team Intel-Action, turned down an offer from the ProTour's Sauner Duval in favor of Volksbank.

Witecki was a successful U-23 rider, who carried it over into his first year as a pro. The national title was also his first professional win. Volksbank Team Manager Thomas Kofler said that his new rider "has a strong character and likes to attack. His specialties are the classic one-day races and stage races, where the mountains aren't too high. Witecki looks for his success in small groups, he'll surprise a lot of people."

Laura Weislo has been with Cyclingnews since 2006 after making a switch from a career in science. As Managing Editor, she coordinates coverage for North American events and global news. As former elite-level road racer who dabbled in cyclo-cross and track, Laura has a passion for all three disciplines. When not working she likes to go camping and explore lesser traveled roads, paths and gravel tracks. Laura specialises in covering doping, anti-doping, UCI governance and performing data analysis.