Left on the market by Wanty-Groupe Gobert which he joined earlier this year, Björn Thurau is currently without a contract for next season and as the teams finalize their rosters little by little, chances to find a place in 2017 are dwindling. The German fighter has not achieved any major results this season but with his combativeness, he seemed optimistic about the possibility of finding a contract next year as he reveals in an interview with rouleur.cc. At the end of the year, the 28-year-old rider has not received a contract extension or an offer from another team.

The situation worries Thurau who is disappointed with his current team. 

“From June onwards I had been trying to talk to the team manager but he never replied, never answered his phone,” Thurau says. “I sent emails, SMSs, and then at the end of September he sent me a small message via WhatsApp that he didn’t want to give me a contract and all the best for the future. That’s it.”

He found a similar response when he looked for a new team.

“Around 50 per cent, I didn’t get an answer from a phone call,” Thurau says. “I don’t understand that; in the cycling world, team managers know me. I think if you know each other from races you can at least give a short answer on the phone. It’s a matter of respect. And the answers we did get said that the team was full or that they needed different riders.”

The profile of baroudeur is unfortunately not what most teams are looking for and that makes it difficult for a rider with the characteristics of Björn Thurau. The German also knows that an unfortunate episode at the Critérium du Dauphiné is not an advantage for him. Thurau was taken out of the race by his team because of a low cortisol levels. Wanty, a member of the MPCC, complied with the regulations of the organization by taking this step.

His intense search, using social networks, has not been fruitful unlike what happed to Ilia Koshevoy who signed with Wilier - Selle Italia thanks to an active job search via Twitter.