Andrea's bio OR How an Austrian girl became a cycling pro (in the nation of skiers):                                                                                                                                              
After doing several different sports (I always loved moving in our beautiful nature and mountains), I tried cross country skiing and cycling races when I was 17. For a long period I did both – cross-country-ski-racing in winter and cycling in summer – but only local national races. I was satisfied racing (and quite often also winning) small national competitions and during my school-and studying-time (studied math and sports – teacher and also became a masseuse) I continued like that. It was 2004 and 2005,  when I was already working as a teacher, that I had the opportunity to do all the international UCI (World Cup) races with the Austrian Team “ELK." And already in 2004 I finished 6th in the World Cup of Montrèal and had some other good results. I enjoyed racing at this international level and had a real successful 2005, which offered me the possibility to become a professional cyclist. I quit my job as a teacher, signed a contract with the Swiss BIGLA-Cycling Team for 2006 and returned to it – after one year in the “Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung” 2007 – for 2008 and 2009. Unfortunately I had a series of bad illnesses and injuries the last two seasons. It began with missing my big goal – the Olympic games in Beijing because of an ill stomach. The medicinal therapy for healing this problem cost me the rest of the season 2008. Just when this problem was solved and I started preparing for 2009, I had a walking accident: a complicated broken ankle, which had to be operated on and fixed by a metal plate.

I started training on my Ergobike even with plaster and started training on my road bike in January. February was our team training camp and till then I felt myself in a good shape again, but on the third day of this training camp, I crashed in a downhill, broke four ribs and a collarbone, which had to be operated on. Soon I started training again – first Ergobike, then roadbike. in May I did first national races in Germany and Switzerland (with already podium results again) and in June I did my first international race since the beginning of 2008!!! I was so happy being back racing, I did BIRA, Giro del Trentino and Giro d`Italia – of course the results weren't the same as before, but I was satisfied, felt better every day, and could finally do good teamwork after one year without racing. And then there was the next accident: I crashed in the last stage of the Giro d`Italia (caused by the bad streets), broke nose, teeth, and collarbone again and ribs. Moreover I caught thrombosis and embolism (lungs) because of wrong treatment in the hospital of Napoli. It meant again: Season over!

In the meanwhile I was operated on again – everything should heal 100%, which means I am prepared to train and get in my “usual” good shape for 2010. I struggled a lot after having the third accident within half a year, but now I am sure I love to cycle again, to find my “old” shape, which means for sure I can do real good teamwork and also results and I am proud and happy to do that in the Webcor Team.

Soon I will move to California and hope to leave all my  bad luck behind (unfortunately also my friends and family – but I'll return, I promise). I am looking forward to this new challenge!!!

Top results of 2009:
1 GP Merdingen, 2nd
2. Criterium Ilsfeld, Germany, 2nd

Top career results:
1. GP Cornaredo, Italy, 2008, 1st                                                                                                                                             
2. Tour de Feminine CZ, 2007 and 2005, stage wins
3. World Cup Fleche Wallone (Belgium), 2007, 7th
4. World Cup Bern (Suisse), 2007, 6th
5. World Championship Road Race, Salzburg, Austria, 2006, 10th 
6. Giro del Trentino, Italy, 2006, stage win
7. World Cup Fleche Wallone (Belgium) and World Cup Wales, 2005, 6th
8. Austrian National Road Race Championship, 2005, 1st (and 16 other medals in Austrian Championships over her career)
9. World Cup Montreal, 2004, 6th