From 2015 on, the team will take another step in its development. While the ambitious spirit remains, the team’s name will change with new naming partners on its side. It’s time to look back how our unique story, to bring amateurs to the Tour de France in only five years, started.

 

It didn’t take long for good things to happen in 2011, Team NetApp’s first year in the Professional Continental rankings. It received a wildcard for Paris-Roubaix  -- the Queen of the Classics. Quite an accomplishment! This was followed over the season by wildcard invitations to the Tour de Suisse and the Tour of California.

Adjusting to the higher-ranked races, and facing stronger teams, took a while for the German team. The lack of wins did not reflect a poor season though. The team could claim final podiums in the Tour of Austria, Tour de l’Ain and the Tour of Britain.

The team put in a full schedule in Belgium leading up to Paris-Roubaix, gathering more experience rather than success. The big day came in April, and Timon Seubert was the star in the team’s first World Tour race. He was in a break group during the day, and the team’s top finisher, at 64th. Five of the eight starters finished the race, a better percentage than some of the ProTour teams.

The Tour of Turkey, another first, saw Bartosz Huzarski take the leader’s jersey for one stage. He finished the race as sixth overall.

The team’s most prominent new signing for the year was American Steve Cozza, whose presence helped assure the invitation to the Tour of California. Unfortunately health problems overcame him and he had to leave the team after very little racing, and retiring from the sport.

No podium spots sprung from the race, held in the home state of the team’s name sponsor, but the team made its presence known with Jan Barta being named most aggressive rider on two stages, a strong team showing in the time trial and participation in break groups.

The Tour de Suisse was the team’s first World Tour stage race, and again the competition was tough. The  riders refused to be intimidated by the high-class field and both Cesare Benedetti and Jan Barta were named the most aggressive rider.

Things looked up at the Tour of Austria, as mid-season signing Daryl Impey finished second on the third stage. It was also the race that gave the first hint of what Leo König was to accomplish in the years to come. He finished third on the difficult Kitzbühler Horn stage, moving him to third in GC. The Czech finished second overall, with the “biggest success in team history”.

It was König on the podium again at the Tour de l’Ain, finishing third. At the Tour of Britain, Barta and König both put in spectacular races to finish second and fifth overall.

Team manager Ralph Denk looked back with satisfaction at the team’s first ProConti year, saying, “we presented ourselves in the best possible way at races that had a field of top riders.”

Team NetApp 2011:
Michael Bär, Jan Barta, Eric Baumann, Cesare Benedetti, Dimitri Claeys, Steve Cozza, Jesus Del Nero Montes, Andreas Dietziker, Alexander Gottfried, David Hesselbarth, Bartosz Huzarski, Daryl Impey, Blaz Jarc, Leopold König, Robert Retschke, Stefan Schäfer, Andreas Schillinger, Daniel Schorn, Michael Schwarzmann, and Timon Seubert.

Review 2010: Click here

Review 2012: Click here

Review 2013: Click here

Review 2014: Click here