Vorarlberg announces two signings

Team Vorarlberg-Corratec signed two new riders this week and announced that it has been invited to "Rund um den Henninger Turm" (now called Eschborn-Frankfurt City Loop) on May 1.

The two new signings for the Austrian Professional Continental team are Belgian Wim van Huffel and German Sebastian Siedler. Van Huffel, 29, has had a hard time finding a team this winter, after not receiving a new contract from Silence-Lotto, where he had ridden for four years. He signed with two teams which did not come into being because they did not receive licenses, TlTeck-H20 and Crota-Turbo' Hoet. Most recently he rode for Revor-Jartazi as an elite without contract.

In 2005, van Huffel finished 11th overall in the Giro d'Italia. "There is no one in Belgium better than him in the mountains," said Vorarlberg team manager Thomas Kofler. "He can also do well in the difficult one-day races."

Siedler, 30, turned pro in 2004 with Team Wiesenhof. He rode for Milram in 2006 and 2007, before joining Skil-Shimano last year. He has won stages in the Bayern Rundfahrt, Tour de Picardie and Friedensfahrt. Kofler was happy to have signed, "another man with ProTour experience. With René Haselbacher, René Weissinger, Daniel Musiol and him, we have a strong sprint group."

The small Austrian team will appear in the Eschborn-Frankfurt City Loop on May 1, in Frankfurt, Germany. (SW)