Haselbacher retires after 15 years in the peloton

Rene Haselbacher has retired after 15 years a professional cyclist. The Austrian has moved to South Africa and does not plan to be involved in cycling.

He 33-year-old turned pro in 1996, riding for small Austrian teams before joining Gerolsteiner in 1999. He stayed with the German team until 2006, and then rode for Astana in 2007 and 2008. He joined Vorarlberg-Corratec in 2009, but cancelled his contract with them last summer when the team was reduced to Continental status.

Over the years, “Hasi” won both the Austrian road and time trial titles. In 2006 he won the overall title in the Rheinland-Pfalz Rundfahrt. In his career, he won stages in the Tour of Sweden, Rheinland-Pfalz Rundfahrt, Tour of Austria and the DEKRA Open.

The sprinter was often known to fans for his crashes in finales and was often affected by injuries or illnesses, but he summed up his career by saying, “It was a very good time.”

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