A month and a half after it was confirmed that the Cervélo Test Team would not continue past the end of the season, the promising young stagiaire Alex Wetterhall has said that he is still searching for a team for next year.
Most of the pro riders have found new slots for 2011, but the 24 year old Swedish rider is still looking around for a deal.
The 2009 national time trial champion was given a trial with the team after a strong early season, with results such as fourth in the Lincoln International Grand Prix, overall victory in FBD Insurance Rás and a stage win in the Ringerike Grand Prix earning Cervélo’s attention.
He very quickly showed that their trust was warranted when he finished seventh in the time trial at the Tour of Denmark plus a solid 25th overall.
Since then, he has been playing a team role for the other riders, and feels that things have been going well. “It has been ok, good training and more good races with Cervélo TestTeam,” he told VeloNation. “My task has been to cover moves in the big 1.HC races and that is what I have done. Last up was the Tour de Vendée where I bridged up to a 10 man break after ten kilometres and we held a gap of 30 seconds to three and a half minutes until the peloton caught us after 135km. Our strategy and teamwork worked out and that took Davide Appollonio to the second at the podium.”
The former Team Sprocket rider has been looking around for a new squad. He said that some have shown interest, but that no deal has yet been done.
While riding with the Cervélo Test Team is undoubtedly a big opportunity, it has also made things a little difficult as the team’s premature conclusion means that he hasn’t been able to progress on to a full contract with them. Riders who perform well as stagiaires often are offered pro slots the following season, but this clearly can’t happen.
Ironically, had he secured a stagiaire deal with another team, he would probably be in a better position now. He’s clear what he’s hoping to get.
“I´m looking for a Pro Tour or a Pro Continental team,” he said. “After I have been racing with Cervélo in the big races, I feel that I´m improving a lot every race and I feel more ready then ever. I really want to take the step up for next year to improve myself as a rider and get into the right races.”
Aside from wanting to perform well for himself, he has an additional motivation in that he recently became a father for the first time.