Although there were denials yesterday that it was the case, speculation is growing that Oscar Freire has indeed signed a year contract with the Katusha team for the 2012 season. The triple world champion has been in negotiations with the team in recent days and, according to Marca, terms have been finalised and a contract has been made official.
It states that he and his brother Antonio, who acts as his agent, also negotiated with Omega Pharma – Quick Step and Geox TMC, but that the Russian squad is the one which won out. It has been trying to build its sprint strength since last year, using Mario Cipollini as a mentor for the young sprinters. It is expected that next year Erik Zabel will take over that role, seeking to do for Katusha riders what he did for Mark Cavendish with HTC Highroad.
Katusha had a clear advantage over Geox TMC in that it has had a UCI ProTeam licence this year. Geox TMC tried to secure one twelve months ago but was deemed not to have enough high-ranking riders. Incidentally, while Freire has taken wins this year in the Vuelta a Andalucía, netting two stages there plus the points classification, he has had a very quiet season by his standards and has relatively few UCI WorldTour points.
His ability is such that a big win – or indeed several – cannot be discounted, though. The 35 year old has said that the Olympic Games and the world road race championships are two big targets for him. Personal ambitions aside, he can also join with Zabel in giving younger sprinters such as Paris-Brussels winner Denis Galimzyanov guidance to help their development.
Freire will join compatriot Joaquim Rodriguez on the team, and work under Hans Michael Holczer. Xavier Florencio and Angel Vicioso are also expected to be part of the 2012 lineup.