Rasmus Guldhammer will join the ambitious Christina Watches-Onfone team for the 2012 season, as announced this week. The Dane seems to have found a love for cycling again a year after he broke his contract with HTC-Columbia, citing lack of motivation and homesickness as his reasons for leaving the professional ranks.
This season he’s competed with the local Danish continental team Concordia Forsikring-Himmerland and by April had returned to winning ways.
He will now ride alongside several experienced riders, with the Tour of Denmark being the main objective for next season.
“I looking forward to working with Michael Rasmussen and former professional Michael Blaudzun. They are two really great guys,” he told VeloNation after the announcement.
“They have a lot of experience and I think this is a good place for me to get back in business.
“I think Michael can teach me a lot. He has done some of the world’s biggest races and won stages there. I think he can help me teaching me how to train, how to find my ideal weight and a lot of other things I can use.”
The 22 year old will now turn his attention to the rest of the season. He’ll start the Tour de l'Avenir tomorrow and his hoping for a good result that will see him get selected for the world road race championships on home soil this year.
“I have just been told I’m going to Tour de l'Avenir, so hopefully I’m also going to the Worlds. It would be so cool to do that race in Copenhagen,” said Guldhammer.
“I think my shape is good but I’m still missing the last five percent. After l’Avenir, I think I will be in my best shape this year, so I hope for a good result there.”
Guldhammer is regarded as a big future talent in the sport and is already a winner of the under 23 Liège-Bastogne-Liège Bastonge. He also finished fourth in the Tour of Denmark in 2009. HTC Highroad’s Tejay van Garderen was used to racing against the Dane in the under 23 ranks and was once quoted as saying, “we've all got used to seeing Rasmus's back wheel on the climbs!”
His ability is therefore without question; now, with his motivation back on track, those who have followed his career will be keen to see what he can do.