Floris Goesinnen moves to the Australian Drapac Porsche team for the 2011 season, after four and a half years with Skil-Shimano. The Dutchman was also in talks with Willems Veranda, but ultimately opted for a one-year contract with Drapac.
Goesinnen is looking forward to his time Down Under. "It is a strong team with a topnotch management, for which sports in Australia is known for," he told Wielerflits.nl. "It is not bad to join a team of riders who can ride hard, but it also has the philosophy to produce complete people, as well as good riders."
Goesinnen joined Skil-Shimano in May 2006, which will make him one of the most experienced riders on Drapac. "I am one of the older guys and I will be the captain on the road of the European part of the race program, also going for results." Goesinnen's palmarès thus far include wins at the Nationale Sluitingprijs - Putte-Kapellen (2007), stage wins in the Tour de l'Ain and the Brixia Tour (2008) and the mountains classification in the Eneco Tour of Benelux (2008).
Goesinnen expects some apprentice time. "In the beginning they will have to lead me, with all the new circumstances and also life in Melbourne." Despite some races in Europe, the majority of the program is done in Australia.
Only the type of courses that Goesinnen will emphasize on are the same on both continents. "Classics, stage races. Just like other racers. The calendar on the other side of the world is not so loaded that you can choose what you want to ride, but there is enough in there. The biggest difference is the tradition of criteriums in Australia. That will be new [for me]."
In 2010, Goesinnen was not too successful, with a seventh place in the Druivenkoers - Overijse his best accomplishment and a long break in the Tour of Flanders to his credit. "My spring and fall season were good. In the spring, with valuable TV time, it is difficult to ride for a result with Skil. I rested a lot between May and July, doing only a few races." He also was sick several times in the summer. "That was a bad period," Goesinnen said.
It was thus no surprise to him that his contract was not extended. "In the fall races I could already feel which way Skil was deciding, by the freedom and the orders that I received."
The Dutch team is hiring more and more foreigners, with Piet Rooijakkers and Job Vissers also leaving. "Maybe I was too long with the team and should have left when the iron was still hot," Goesinnen mused. "But I did not expect that I would receive so little credit from the years before."