BIKE AID: optimistic mood and new additions for a promising season
The BIKE AID professional cycling team has launched its new season of cycling in Turkey with both new and established riders.
The Saarland cyclists are beginning the new road racing season on 27 January 2024 with great anticipation and some ambitious goals. The team have already made their way to Turkey, where they are traditionally invited to a training camp in Antalya by their joint main sponsor Corendon Airlines. As well as intensive training, team building and various one-day races, the end of the Turkey trip is marked by the challenging Tour of Antalya (8-11 February 2024), featuring the top-level teams from the Tour de France.
The winter was a season of changes and innovations. New outfitters will soon be announced and the entire team infrastructure has been overhauled and redeveloped, from team vehicles to competition bikes to the service course. Last season has been analysed together with supervisors, and decisions have been made on potential ways to improve.
A workshop in the Vosges in December served as a performance test for riders, as well as providing training in communication and collaborating with sponsors and the media. Intensive discussions were held about season goals, the racing programme and expectations, in order to boost team cohesion and establish a clear orientation for the upcoming season.
The team is welcoming six new additions, including career changer Antoine Berlin from Monaco. He was originally a runner who almost made it to the Olympics, and holds several Monegasque records for middle and long distance racing. After an injury, Antoine found himself back on a bicycle and became an impressive climber on two wheels. Following his move from an Austrian cycling team to Saarland, Antoine is looking forward to the new challenges ahead.
Máté Balázs from Niederwürzbach is also worthy of mention: he is a young talent from the team’s own club BIKE AID e.V., who has been selected for the national team for mountain biking. He receives Saarland support as a sports pupil at the Gymnasium am Rotenbühl in Saarbrücken (an elite sports school). The young cyclist was allowed to compete in the 2023 Saarland Trofeo as a guest rider and gain his first international cycle race experience. In the autumn he took part in the German Junior Hill Climb Championships on a racing bike, promptly taking home the bronze. ‘This if nothing else earned Máté a place on our team, and of course, there is nothing better for us as a professional team than to gain an athlete from Saarland and even our own club’, team boss Matthias Schnapka explains. Máté’s first major appearance will be at the Tour of Antalya in two weeks’ time.
Anton Schiffer from Cologne and Jonas Beck from the Black Forest have come up from BIKE AID’s own Development Team, an U23 team competing in the federal cycling league. Lesslie Lührs from Munich, a former member of the U23 national team, will boost BIKE AID in the sprint.
BIKE AID is continuing its commitment to African athletes by welcoming a promising new arrival: Yoel Habteab from Eritrea. The talented young rider has already won the African championships as a junior and attracted attention at the world championships in Australia. His debut appearance with the team will be at the Tour du Rwanda, which takes place immediately after the Tour of Antalya.
BIKE AID has impressively showcased cycling in Africa and in particular the Tour du Rwanda: in recent years, the Saarland team has been the subject of three different TV documentaries produced by ARD, Schweizer Fernsehen and Eurosport. This growing interest is being further fuelled by the fact that for the first time ever in 2025, a cycling world championship is being held in Africa (specifically Rwanda).
This development reflects not only BIKE AID’s pursuit of sporting excellence, but also its desire to promote cycling in emerging regions and make a wide audience aware of the beauty of the sport.
BIKE AID’s long-term goal is still to be promoted to the second division of professional cycling (UCI Professional Continental teams), in order to take part in prestigious races including the Tour de France. Thanks to URSAPHARM and their top HYLO® brand as a strong primary partner and ongoing discussions with other potential partners, the team can look forward to a promising future and the opportunity to gain attention for its unique concept and build momentum. This represents a unique chance and asset for Saarland’s sporting landscape – especially as cycling is booming here, and many clubs are getting involved in promoting young talent. An elite professional team therefore serves as an encouraging prospect, as well as an ambassador for Saarland across the world.
BIKE AID stops and tour programme in Turkey:
27/01 GP Antalya Airport City 1.2
28/01 Int. Expo Crit Antalya
03/02 GP Apollon Temple 1.2
04/02 Apollon Temple Crit Side
08/02 – 11/02 Tour of Antalya 2.1
Photo(s): Team BIKE AID – the entire 2024 team