European online retailer 21run.com unveiled its new triathlon team today, formed around Germany’s Timo Bracht the 7 time Ironman champion and 5th place finisher at the 2011 Ironman World Championships in Kona.
Joining Bracht on the team will be former commerzbank team mate, Ironman Florida winner and runner up at Ironman Germany in Frankfurt last year, Jan Raphael, as well as Horst Reichel and Georg Potrebitsch.
Head coach and sports director of the new team will be coach Ralf Elbi with entrepreneur businessman Jorg Mayer taking on the role of team manager. Physitherapist Dirk Lederer and mechanic Gerhard Paris round off the team.
In addition to the main sponsor of 21run.com, profile design an 21cycles.com support the new team. Individual athletes are allowed further sponsors (or “friends”) as in Garmin for Timo Bracht and Gothia financial group for Horst Reichel.
“We will be announcing more sponsors and more athletes friends in the next few weeks” said manager Jorg Mayer “the interest is very high!”
Commerzbank, the main sponsor of the Commerzbank triathlon team, in a cost saving measure ended their sponsorship at the end of last year,( despite winning 40 titles worldwide including several Ironman titles) leaving athletes Timo Bracht, Marino Vanhoenacker, Mathias Hecht, Maik Twelsiek, Markus Fachbach and Jan Raphael without a contract.
Speaking on his website team captain Bracht said “I think it’s a great achievement by all concerned that this new team can carry on after the Commerzbank era. I can count on really familiar people. The team is young, dynamic and innovative and they will provide me with the hard training and necessary support to help me to continue to develop.The last few years have been very successful for me, and I hope I can continue this”.
Ebli and Mayer already have a clearly defined goal for the season. “We want as many podium finishes at middle and long distance races as possible! With our commitment to a world class German team we want to make a sustainable contribution to the further development of this exceptional and fascinating sport.”
To find out more about the 21run.com triathlon team visit http://www.21sportsgroup.com/engagement/sportler/triathlon-team.
British correspondent Danny Ward filed this story.
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