Home team safety net for Polish rider after he has no place in Saxo-Tinkoff’s 2013 plans
Jarosłąw Marycz has signed a two year contract with CCC Polsat Polkowice, the Polish team has announced, and is to be a big part of the squad as it retakes its place in the sport’s Professional Continental division. The 25-year-old from Koszalin, on the north Polish coast, has ridden with Team Saxo-Tinkoff for the past three seasons, but was recently informed that he played no part in the team’s 2013 plans.
“I’m very happy that I will be able to represent CCC Polsat Polkowice team colours next season,” he said. “I admit that the last weeks have been very difficult for me.
“After winning the race in Japan for the Saxo Bank team I had secretly hoped that my contract would be extended for another season,” he explained. “Unfortunately it happened differently. When they informed me that they didn't see me in the composition of the team, it was already too late to look for spots in the other ProTour teams. Yes, there have been proposals to work but they were directed from the Continental teams.
“Thanks to Piotr Wadecki, and also the sponsors of the team, for offering me a helping hand in this rather difficult situation,” he added. “I hope that my cycling experience, commitment, and hard work for the team can contribute to our success in the upcoming 2013 cycling season.”
Marycz is one of the biggest names to join the team as it steps back up to Professional Continental level in 2013, following one year down at Continental level. Fellow Pole Jacek Morajko returns to the team he rode for in 2011, after a year at Vacansoleil-DCM; while controversial 41-year-old Italian Davide Rebellin steps back up to the sport’s upper levels, after spending the second half of the last two seasons at Continental Miche-Guerciotti and Meridiana-Kamen.
With the rest of the team largely made up from the almost entirely Polish 2012 roster, CCC Polsat may not find themselves showered with invitations to races in the WorldTour, but will surely be a certainty at the Tour of Poland in July and August.
Team Saxo-Tinkoff is undergoing a huge personnel change, with riders such as Nicolas Roche, Matti Breschel and Roman Kreuziger coming in, and stars like Nick Nuyens moving on. Despite the influx of big names however - and the continued presence of Vuelta a España winner Alberto Contador - the Danish team is far from assured a place in next year’s WorldTour, because Contador’s points are not included in its “sporting” value thanks to his two-year suspension after testing positive for Clenbuterol.
Despite being rejected by the team, Marycz may still find himself racing at the same level as Saxo-Tinkoff next year.
CCC Polsat Polkowice team roster 2013
Josef Cerny, Paweł Charucki, Piotr Gawroński, Adrian Honkisz, Sylwester Janiszewski, Tomasz Kiendyś, Adrian Kurek, Jarosław Marycz, Bartłomiej Matysiak, Nikolay Mihaylov, Jacek Morajko, Mateusz Nowak, Łukasz Owsian, Davide Rebellin, Marek Rutkiewicz, Grzegorz Stępniak and Mateusz Taciak.