Bora-Hansgrohe are the latest team to pick from the B&B Hotels scrapheap, broadening their off-road horizons with the signing of Victor Koretzky.
The 28-year-old Frenchman has a strong background as mountain biker and turned professional on the road with B&B Hotels in 2022.
With the French team releasing their riders amid a sponsorship crisis, other teams are swooping for late signings, with Bora-Hansgrohe sensing a bargain.
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"I have to say that I am really happy that we were able to sign Victor. We have already presented ourselves off road in the past, but with Victor’s signing we are now taking on this theme more strategically," said team boss Ralf Denk.
Koretzky is the second dedicated mountain biker to join Bora-Hansgrohe after the signing of Ben Zwiehoff in 2021, with Peter Sagan another former team member who has dabbled in mountain biking.
Zwiehoff competed in the Cape Epic race in South Africa alongside Lennard Kamna last year, while the likes of Jordi Meeus and Cian Uijtdebroeks have also stepped into the world of gravel.
With Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Pidcock being two of the world's best mountain bikers and road racers, and with the emergence of gravel and a new wave of multi-disciplined riders, Bora-Hansgrohe are keen to continue branching out.
"In our sport, it is becoming increasingly important to be present over a variety of terrains, especially with a partner like Specialized. Together we can offer Victor a perfect platform both on and off road," Denk said.
"The plan is for him to continue racing in the MTB World Cup, but he will also do a slimmed down road race program. In terms of the type of rider he is, I can well imagine that one or two semi-classics in the spring would suit him well. How that can work in practice remains to be seen, and is also new territory for us. But it's definitely a new challenge that I'm looking forward to."
Koretzky made his road debut at the GP Marseillaise earlier this year, going on to ride and finish several of the biggest spring Classics. He then claimed his first victory with a stage win at the Alpes Isère Tour. He wasn't selected for the Tour de France but rounded out a season of learning with a string of week-long races.
He will retain his mountain bike focus through the 2024 Olympics, with decisions over career path to be taken after that.
"I am overjoyed to be provided with this opportunity by Bora-Hansgrohe. I have already gained experience on the road this year, but with a top team it's an entirely different ball game," Koretzky said.
"I would definitely like to develop further on the road and become a pillar for the team there. But my big dream is the 2024 Olympic MTB race in Paris. The nice thing is that with BORA - hansgrohe and Specialized, I’ll have a perfect set-up for every terrain."
Koretzky is the first B&B Hotels rider to jump ship since team boss Jérôme Pineau informed his team he had failed to collect the requisite funds for the project he'd promised. Ramon Sinkeldam, a prospective new signing, joined Alpecin-Deceuninck on Monday, with many more expected to follow suit.
Bora-Hansgrohe thus bring their squad to the UCI maximum of 30 riders for 2023.
They have brought in Bob Jungels (AG2R Citroën), Nico Denz (Team DSM), and Florian Lipowitz (neo-pro), while they are losing Felix Großschartner (UAE Team Emirates), Wilco Kelderman (Jumbo-Visma), Lukas Pöstlberger (BikeExchange-Jayco), and Martin Laas (Astana Qazaqstan).
