Stephan Schreck: I hope I will be able to take my chance.

17.01.2008/ After eight years with T-Mobile Stephan Schreck signed with Gerolsteiner. Schreck needed a new surrounding. German based website radsport-aktiv.de spoke with Stephan Schreck: "I hope I will be able to take my chance."

Stephan Schreck feels well with Gerolsteiner (© Cyclingheroes)

How did you settle in at Gerolsteiner?

Stephan Schreck: Very good. I already feel really well. At the team meeting in November I felt like as I had been there before. I didn't have the feeling that I was new with the team. I know most riders of the team for a long time. The only thing that was unusual was the first shooting with the new jersey. It isn't pink anymore but cyan.

What were the main reasons to change from T-Mobile to Gerolsteiner?

Stephan Schreck: First: I needed a change of air. Second: Hans-Michael Holczer and Christian Henn showed great interest in me. A lot of riders also advised me to sign with Gerolsteiner. The negotiations went quiete fast and we came to an agreement without any problems.

Did you follow developments at T-Mobile/High Road in the last couple of weeks oder did you call it a day in regard to your former team?

Stephan Schreck: Of course I followed the developments. Not daily, but I watched all important reports every week. T-Mobile is history. Now the development there is heading in the direction of the USA. You can very clear see this tendency.

What do you think, after your first impression, is the main difference between T-Mobile and Gerolsteiner?

Stephan Schreck: In some points T-Mobile was a bit bigger if it comes to external communications. It was a telecommunication company. You noticed that with everything they did. At the Gerolsteiner squad there are more German riders, we speak more often German. In the last couple of years T-Mobile we spoke much more English. The language went in the same direction as the team is doing now. At Gerlosteiner its more like a family. In the beginning it made me grin. But it really is like that. The ways are shorter.

Stephan Schreck at Ahrenberg (© Cyclingheroes)

You signed a one year contract with Gerolsteiner. Was that a problem for you?

Stephan Schreck: No. With T-Mobile/High Road I also had a one year contract, with Gerolsteiner to. It didn't matter. Because I agreed with Gerolsteiner pretty early, I didn't even think about other teams.

When will you start your season and which races will follow?

Stephan Schreck: I will start with the Mallorca Challenge. After that Tour of Algarve and Tirreno-Adriatico. Then Milano-San Remo, the Belgian one-day races and Paris-Roubaix. Then we'll see what will come next. For the Ardennes classics Gerolsteiner has good riders. The 8 strongest riders will start. It would be nice if I would be one of them. And then it slowly goes towards the Tour.

Which role do you think you can handle, especially at the cobblestone races?

Stephan Schreck: For these kind of races the team is relatively young and very open. We have no winner at this kind of terrain. I hope that I will be able to take my chance. I have learnt many years from Steffen Wesemann. Now I will have to see how I can implement that. There, I want to ride really good. In the end the rider with the best legs will be our captain. Of course I hope that will be me. If not I will subordinate.

Where do you still see your eserves?

Stephan Schreck: I rode for 8 years as a domestique with Telekom/T-Mobile. Now I have to learn again to take responsibility. That is a new pressure situation. When you don't win races you have many areas where you can grow. I did not win that many races, so there is a lot to do.

We would like to thank radsport-aktiv.de for the permission to translate and publish this interview.

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Stephan Schreck

Birthdate: July 15, 1978

Place of birth: Erfurt (Germany)

Height: 1.85 mtr.

Weight: 76 kg.

Turned Pro: 2000

Teams:

2000 - 2007 Telekom/T-Mobile

2008 - ? Gerolsteiner

Palmares

2002

Stage 5 Tour of Hessen

2004

Stage 1 Sachsen Tour

Stage 1 Regio Tour

2007

Stage 5 Sachsen Tour

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