Hoste claims Katusha doesn't want him next season

Leif Hoste has reportedly been told he will not be riding for Katusha in 2012.  According to the rider, New Katusha team manager Hans-Michael Holczer has called him to say that he does not need to attend the team meetings for next season.

The 34-year-old signed a two-year contract with the Russian team starting this year.  However, a severe crash in the Three Days of De Panne put a very early end to his season.  After abandoning that race, he came back to ride the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, but has not raced since.

In the De Panne crash, he suffered a severe concussion, amongst other injuries.  In June he reported that he was still unable to train, saying that when he rode for more than two hours, he suffered a “splitting headache”.

The problem was finally diagnosed in August as a tear in his brain membranes.  Since then he has been able to train and has started getting ready for the coming season.

Hoste said that he would not accept Holczer's decision to remove him from the team, telling Het Nieuwsblad, “I have a contract through 2012.

“If my contract is not respected, then I will stand up for it.  A rider has duties but also rights.”