Austrian teams dedicate race to Matzenbacher

The two Austrian Professional Continental teams Volksbank and Elk Haus are preparing for the GP Judendorf Strassengel Sunday, with a heavy heart. This year's race is dedicated to the memory of Volksbank's Andreas Matzenbacher, who won the race in 2004. He died in an auto crash on Christmas Eve 2007 at the age of 25.

"We will ride this race while thinking of 'Matzi',' said Volksbank team manager Thomas Kofler. "We miss him. Not just here, but everywhere we ride."

Elk Haus will send last year's second-, third-, and fourth-place finishers to the race. Christian Pfannberger, who now rides for Team Barloworld and is racing the Giro d'Italia, won the race for Elk Haus last year but will not be present. Markus Eibegger was second and Thomas Rohregger third. Fourth place went to Gerhard Trampusch, who rode the race for Volksbank,. They will be joined by, among others, Stefan Denifl, who won the national U-23 title in Judendorff.

Volksbank for GP Judendorf: Josef Benetseder (Aut), Alexander Egger (Aut), Peter Presslauer (Aut), Christoph Sokoll (Aut), René Weissinger (Ger), and Cameron Wurf (Aus).

Elk Haus for GP Judendorf: Markus Eibegger, Stefan Denifl, Thomas Rohregger, Gerhard Trampusch, Peter Pichler and Stefan Rucker. (SW)