Team KATUSHA has announced that it has reached an agreement with 22-year-old Marco Mathis who is the reigning U23 time trial world champion. In Doha, Qatar, the German rider obtained the world title by beating his fellow countryman Maximilian Schachmann with an average speed of 50,799 km/h. One year earlier the world title was for Mads Würtz-Schmidt who also signed recently for the team. Mathis will ride for KATUSHA-ALPECIN in 2017 and 2018.

This season Mathis won three golden medals as well at the German championships. He was the best in the individual pursuit and also took first place in the team’s pursuit on track as well as on the road with his Rad-Net Rose Team. 

"For me it is a dream coming true. From a continental team to a WorldTour team is a big step but I look forward to it. I think it is the perfect team for me. With Canyon they really have the best time trial bike in the world and they have a very good team for the classics. This season I was the leadout man for Pascal Ackermann. I hope to do the same for Alexander Kristoff in 2017. It is also nice for me to have Alpecin coming to the team. Alpecin has supported German cycling a lot the last two years and you can see the results results already. Both Canyon and Alpecin made further efforts to establish even one more spot when the team normally has already been completed! With Nils Politt I will have a personal friend in the team. I cannot wait to see my new teammates," said Marco Mathis.

Mathis will meet his teammates next week in Italy when all 2017 KATUSHA-ALPECIN riders gather in the north of Italy for four days.

"With Tony Martin and Marco Mathis we have the two reigning time trial world champions. I am proud. With Marco Mathis, Rick Zabel, Nils Politt and especially Tony Martin we will have four strong German riders, but in the end the nationality doesn’t count. It is all about power, endurance, character and the right mentality. I know that TT specialists have all these characteristics and Marco Mathis showed in Doha to be the best TT rider of his generation. Both partners Canyon and Alpecin express their responsibility for development of German Cycling. Like Brian Cookson said in Doha there is a Renaissance in Germany. New Sponsors, Television and the Grand Depart of 2017th Tour de France are results of this development. Together with our strong partners we are able to bring the next German talent to the UCI WorldTour. We are all very happy with Marco joining our squad," said Team KATUSHA General Manager Viatcheslav Ekimov.

KATUSHA-ALPECIN for 2017:
Maxim Belkov (RUS), Jenthe Biermans (BEL), Sven Erik Bystrøm (NOR), José Gonçalves (POR), Marco Haller (AUT), Reto Hollenstein (SUI), Robert Kišerlovski (CRO), Pavel Kochetkov (RUS), Alexander Kristoff (NOR), Viacheslav Kuznetsov (RUS), Maurits Lammertink (HOL), Alberto Losada (ESP), Tiago Machado (POR), Matvey Mamykin (RUS), Tony Martin (GER), Marco Mathis (GER), Michael Mørkøv (DEN), Baptiste Planckaert (BEL), Nils Politt (GER), Jhonatan Restrepo (COL), Simon Špilak (SLO), Rein Taaramäe (EST), Ángel Vicioso (ESP), Mads Würtz Schmidt (DEN), Rick Zabel (GER), Ilnur Zakarin (RUS).