UCI code GST Disbanded 2008 Status ProTour Founded 1998 | Discipline Road General manager Reimund Dietzen | |
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1997–19981999–2008 Schauff OeschelbronnGerolsteiner | ||
Gerolsteiner (UCI Team Code: GST) was a German road bicycle racing team in the UCI ProTour. It was sponsored by the mineral water company Gerolsteiner Brunnen and Specialized.
History
The team was founded in 1997 as Schauff Oeschelbronn professional cycling team by team manager Hans-Michael Holczer and sports directors Rolf Gölz and Christian Henn. In 1999 Gerolsteiner who had previously sponsored the Cologne Cycling Team in 1998 became the title sponsors. The contract with Georg Totschnig in 2001 helped make the team enter Division I. In 2003 the team participated in the Tour de France for the first time.
The leader for several seasons was Georg Totschnig, who recorded top 10 finishes in the Tour de France and was an excellent climber. In 2005, Totschnig won stage 14 of the Tour, showing his skill on the 15 km long climb up the Port de Pailhères (2000m at 8.2%). He was overfilled with emotion, after becoming the first Austrian to win a tour stage since Max Bulla in 1931, who won 3 stages.
In 2007, with former riders Georg Totschnig (retired) and Levi Leipheimer (left for Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team) gone, the team turned to youngsters Markus Fothen and Stefan Schumacher to captain the team in the 2007 Tour de France.
The team announced in September 2007 that Gerolsteiner will not be renewing its sponsorship agreement at the end of the 2008 season. In August 2008 the team confirmed it will dissolve after the 2008 season, after being unable to find a new sponsor.
In October 2008, riders Stefan Schumacher and Bernhard Kohl were tested positive for CERA (continuous erythropoitin receptor activator, a third-generation variant of erythropoietin, aka EPO).