17/04/2024

“I’m already talking to teams” - Lukas Pöstlberger looks to return to the WorldTour in 2025 after being left without a contract for this season

After his contract was not renewed by Jayco AlUla at the end of 2023, Lukas Pöstlberger was left without a team for this year, having only spent one season with the Australian outfit after joining them from BORA-hansgrohe.

Speaking to Cycling Weekly at the Tour of the Alps, where he is currently racing for the Austrian national team, Pöstlberger explained his situation, as he said “I really wanted to stay, and then I got left out. I don't want to blame anybody specific, but it played a part that some Australians wanted to come back to the team and be competitive there. There was a spot to fill when they left me out, and some local guys had the benefit of it”.

Breakaway specialist Alessandro De Marchi does it again on stage 2 of the 2024 Tour of the Alps

The Austrian rider was somewhat hung out to dry by his previous employers, as he was told that his contract would no be renewed until it was too late, as he went on to say “I tried to get in touch with other teams, but at the end of September, it’s really hard to get anything going. I had to find a different solution and try myself as a privateer, maybe bridge a year and get back to the WorldTour next year”.

It may be difficult for him to make an impression this season though, as there will be limited opportunities for him in the coming months. On whether we’ll see him back in the professional peloton next year, Pöstlberger stated “I’m already talking to teams. There’s nothing concrete. It’s a hard business and a tough job. I hope my experience will help me get in touch and stay in cycling”.

Racing as a privateer and going from the luxury of a WorldTour team bus to travelling in the Austrian national team’s minivan will have come as somewhat of a shock for Pöstlberger, as he said “it’s a different approach when you have to do all the organisation and the supporting and the planning for yourself, also to be competitive and reach the level the others are at. They have a lot more racing in their legs, but this maybe plays in my favour”.