Since winning the world road race championships on October 3rd, Thor Hushovd has become an even hotter commodity in pro cycling. Quick Step is the latest team to be confirmed as being interested in his signature, but this morning the Norwegian ruled out a change to his plans.
“I have a team for next year, I have a contract with Garmin,” he told VeloNation, quashing rumours that he was open to other offers.
Garmin Transitions team CEO Jonathan Vaughters had told VeloNation earlier this week that the rider’s place on his team was secured, ruling out any move.
He reiterated that stance this morning. “All the rumours about Thor are pretty entertaining,” he wrote on his Twitter account. “His contract was filed with the UCI on October 1st, with no buy out clause.”
Quick Step’s general manager Patrick Lefevere had earlier declared his interest in today’s Het Nieuwsblad. “I am strongly interested in Thor,” he said. “Not only is Hushovd a model of regularity and the prototype of the perfect rider, but I always had a soft spot for world champions.”
Lefevere previously took on Oscar Freire after he won his first worlds in Verona in 1999, had Tom Boonen on his books when the Belgian triumphed in Madrid in 2005, and featured Paolo Bettini on his team when he won the 2006 worlds in Salzburg and successfully defended the title one year later in Stuttgart.
“With Boonen and Bettini I had the world champion for three years in a row. As a Scandinavian rider, Hushovd is also a very interesting athlete for us.
“I asked about Hushovd and Haussler when it became clear that Cervélo was ending this season. For reasons incomprehensible to me he cannot leave, although the structure behind his current team ceases to exist.”
Het Nieuwsbald lists the other teams which are interested, stating that Team Saxobank, Europcar/Bouygues Telecom, Cofidis, Astana and the planned Australian ProTour team to be run by Pegasus Sports are all keen to talk to the Norwegian.
However he was clear this morning that he considers his team for 2011 to have been already decided.
He will line out in the Tour of Lombardy tomorrow determined to ride strongly in the rainbow jersey. Hushovd placed 14th in the Giro del Piemonte yesterday, rolling in as part of the first big chase group, four seconds behind solo winner Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma Lotto).