Team SD Worx – Protime Signs Carina Schrempf

Team SD Worx – Protime has secured Carina Schrempf from August 1st. Following a long track and field career in middle-distance running, the 31-year-old Austrian has only been active in cycling for four years. She is known as a true team player who is always willing to work for the team's benefit.

Schrempf has a background in track and field, where her events were the 400, 800, and 1500 meters. Sports manager Danny Stam sees major advantages in precisely this background. "You can see that Carina is still capable of riding extremely fast over the final one or two kilometers of a race. I saw her attack in 2023 during the last kilometer of a stage in the Tour de Romandie. If she hadn't completely misjudged the corner, they never would have seen her again. She did the same thing once at the Tour of Burgos, where a sprinting peloton only caught her in the final meters. Due to the departure of Femke Markus, we need a rider who is willing to work for the team. In addition, Carina can ride a final. I see her also as an ideal rider in the lead-out for Lorena Wiebes."

When an injury kept Schrempf out of track and field action in 2022, she started cycling for fun. In February of that year, she won her final Austrian indoor athletics title, while just a few months later, she was active as a cyclist in races such as the Gracia Orlová and the European and World Road Championships.

"It was a completely different sport and experience. Naturally, it's not ideal when you only start cycling at age 27. I was completely surprised by how well it went and that the Austrian federation selected me for the championships so quickly. Cycling appealed to me right away because it's a team sport. As a runner, I mostly did it for myself. There was no money to be made with it, and you don't have teammates to share success with. In cycling, you might not be good enough to win certain races yourself, but you can play a key role in a teammate's success. That really appeals to me."

For the past four years, Schrempf competed for Fenix – Premier Tech. "A team I am hugely grateful to and where I always really enjoyed riding. They gave me a chance, and I was able to develop myself with them. I wasn't looking at another team until I heard about the interest from Team SD Worx – Protime. A team that always plays to win and features various world-class riders. I am glad Fenix – Premier Tech cooperated so that I could transfer as of August 1st, allowing me to get used to my new environment and equipment. Nowadays, the cycling season already starts with serious races in January. That makes the adaptation period with a new team very short if you only make the move in the new year."