The Russian Team Katusha has opted for a big redesign on its jerseys for 2011, with red being far more prominent on next season’s team kit. The silhouette of the Kremlin plus the sleeves are in this colour, meaning that the jersey is a blend of red and white. Last year’s kit was primarily white and blue, echoing the colour scheme of previous years.
The squad is hoping to step things up a level this year, and has signed up ex-pro Mario Cipollini to act as a training and tactical adviser to the team’s riders. He will work with riders such as Filippo Pozzato to try to ensure that they get the most out of their performances. Former Milan-Sanremo winner Pozzato is regarded as a very talented competitor but also one who tends to follow wheels and lacks aggression.
The 2011 team will include returning riders such as the aforementioned Italian, world number one Joaquin Rodriguez, Alexandr Kolobnev, Vladimir Karpets and Serguei Ivanov. Amongst the new signings are Leif Hoste and Luca Paolini, while the departures include Robbie McEwen, Laszlo Bodrogi and Kim Kirchen. The latter suffered heart problems during the 2010 Tour de Suisse and is expected to retire.