Cycling: Henderson signs with pro European team

Former world track cycling champion Greg Henderson has signed to join leading European ProTour team, T-Mobile for 2007.

Henderson becomes the third New Zealander on current ProTour rosters -- Julian Dean is with the French Credit Agricole side and Tim Gudsell recently signed with another French team, Francaise des Jeux (FDJ).

T-Mobile finished seventh in this year's ProTour, Credit Agricole were 12th and FDJ 20th.

Henderson, who won the scratch race at the 2004 world championships in Sydney, was released from the second year of his two-year contract with the American Health Net-Maxxis team to join the German cycling team's squad.

For Henderson, the move from the United States, where he had an outstanding 2006 season, to Europe is the culmination of a lifelong dream.

"I am extremely grateful to the management, staff and riders of Health Net Maxxis for allowing me to pursue my lifelong dream of racing at the ProTour level in Europe," Henderson said in a team statement today.

Henderson was a key player in the dominating Health Net squads of recent years, making up a powerful duo with Gordon Fraser at races such as the Tour de Georgia where he helped Fraser win the sprint jersey.

Henderson came into his own this year, even after he was sidelined for the first half due to injury, which also wrecked his Commonwealth Games ambitions.

He won the inaugural Reading stage of this year's Philadelphia International Championship before sprinting to the overall win in Philadelphia three days later.

"This is fantastic news for Greg," BikeNZ high performance director Michael Flynn told NZPA today.

Flynn said there was no doubt what Henderson's role with T-Mobile would be.

"He will clearly be utilised as a sprinter and he's a very, very, good sprinter."

T-Mobile was once the home of former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich who was sacked after he was implicated in a Spanish doping investigation in July.

The German, who was withdrawn ahead of this year's Tour de France, has consistently protested his innocence.

Flynn said the time was ripe for Henderson to head to Europe.

"It's just great for him because he's done just as much as he can in America and to go to Europe and take on the big boys in Europe will be a real challenge for him."

Henderson will still be available for major events such as the Olympics and world championships.

But, as with Dean, Henderson will most likely not be available for the Commonwealth Games.

"That's (the next Commonwealth Games) a long way away but as a professional athlete, his time will be managed by his team," Flynn said.

"The key part here is, does he want to ride for New Zealand, and yes he does, he loves riding for New Zealand and has made himself available for the track World Cup round coming up in Sydney."

Henderson told Cycling News in Sydney where he is racing in the Herald-Sun tour in Victoria, Australia, he was looking forward to the European experience.

"I've pretty well won most of the big races in the US and I have always had a passion to race at the highest level.

"It has been a tough road as New Zealand doesn't have a development set up like Australia, and racing in the States and Australia has been great for me.

"But I'm pretty much unproven in Europe and it could all go pear-shaped, but I've just got that hunger to race, that hunger to perform.

"I can guarantee I will give it everything," Henderson added.

T-Mobile seemed like the perfect option.

"T-Mobile is a great team to join, they are very professional and will help me make the transition from US racing to the cut and thrust of Europe.

"I just want to see how far I can go.

"I have made it to world champion on the track, now I want to see if I can make it in the biggest scene of all -- on the road in Europe.

"I'll just take it nice and slow. I would love to ride the classics and a grand tour, and of course I've dreamed of riding the Tour de France. But it might not happen in my first year," he said.

- NZPA