By Susan Westemeyer
The season is winding down, and the Austrian riders are looking to the end of the racing year and planning their well-deserved vacations. The end of November will see the beginning of training for the 2007 season, and for two of the riders, that new season brings a new team.
Bernhard Eisel doesn't yet know if he has raced his last race for Française des Jeux or not. "Probably I will ride Paris-Tours. The decision will be made by the team management." He "wouldn't be unhappy" if he didn't start, he admits. "What is certain, is that I am about to make a two-week vacation with my girlfriend, probably somewhere in the Caribbean." After that, he'll start training for the 2007 season and his new team, T-Mobile. "Like the last few years, I will stay in Austria and bring myself in form with skiing and cross country skiing."
Rene Haselbacher will definitely ride Paris-Tours for Team Gerolsteiner. "I have good memories of this race. 2002 I was fourth in this sprint classic." The first team meeting of his new team, Astana, follows in October in Switzerland, followed by vacation in New York. "The end of November I will probably begin my training for the next year in South Africa."
Paco Wrolich is the only one of the three not changing teams. The Gerolsteiner rider decided at the last minute to ride Paris-Tours. "I decided that because my form is good and I can surely support the team." After the race, he is planning a vacation with his wife and infant son: "I don't yet know where. But the end of November I will start training again."
