As the dust continues to settle after the news that the HTC Highroad team won’t exist next year, its riders and staff are concentrating on trying to find contracts for 2012 and beyond. According to l’Equipe, one of the team’s most successful riders of this year, the neo-pro John Degenkolb, looks likely to move to Skil-Shimano.
The Dutch team is currently racing at the Pro Continental level but knows that it needs to acquire more riders with WorldTour points if it is to push for a top level licence.
Degenkolb finished as runner-up behind Australian Michael Matthews in last year’s world under 23 road race championships and is regarded as one of the most talented young riders in cycling. His debut season has confirmed that, with the 22 year old clocking up six wins.
Those victories began with a stage in the Volta ao Algarve, a race won by his team-mate Tony Martin, and continued with a stage victory in the Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen plus a home win in the Rund um den Finanzplatz Eschborn-Frankfurt in Germany.
After that, Degenkolb netted the second leg of the Bayern Rundfahrt prior to clocking up two stage victories in the Criterium du Dauphiné in June.
A powerful sprinter, he will be an outside bet for a medal in this year’s road worlds in Copenhagen.
Degenkolb’s move will see him join compatriot Patrick Gretsch in going from HTC Highroad to Skil-Shimano. Others already confirmed as heading elsewhere are the brothers Peter and Martin Velits, who will compete with Quick Step in 2012 and 2013.