The German says he's fully focused on turning his Tour de France fortunes around with the team despite being openly criticised by his sports director
Katusha-Alpecin
Switzerland | Team website
During its first few seasons after a debut in 2009, the Katusha squad was a motley assortment of underachieving Russians, plus Joaquim Rodríguez and Alexander Kristoff, who covered the dysfunction of the team with a veneer of very respectable placings and wins.
With Rodríguez retiring at the end of 2016, the team’s Grand Tour hopes have now switched to home-grown talent Ilnur Zakarin. The Russian has been building up an impressive palmares, not least a stage win in the 2016 Tour de France.
A change of name to Katusha-Alpecin, and a change of country of registration from Russia to Switzerland for 2017 saw the team take on a more international flavour.
The squad should be able to count on time trial world champion Tony Martin – signed from Etixx-QuickStep – to produce his usual selection of victories against the clock.
‘You need to have trust for each other’: Marcel Kittel still fine-tuning sprint lead-out ahead of Tour de France
Marcel Kittel is currently at the Tour of California, and says there's still a level of trust he needs to build with his new Katusha-Alpecin lead-out train
Katusha-Alpecin’s Marco Haller facing long lay-off after collision with car on training ride
The Austrian was riding with his compatriot Bernhard Eisel when the car collided with him
‘I’ve made more enemies in three races than I did in the last five years’: Alex Dowsett on the art of the lead-out man
Alex Dowsett is muscling his way around the peloton with purpose helping lead out Marcel Kittel, tasting success for the first time at Tirreno-Adriatico.
Watch: ‘My brakes don’t work, I’m wrecked’ – amazing video gives behind-the-scenes look at brutal Strade Bianche
Only two Katusha-Alpecin riders may have finished Strade Bianche, but the team wins the prize for best video from a brutal edition of the Italian race.
‘Sky was too comfortable. I needed to reinvent myself’: Ian Boswell relishing life at Katusha-Alpecin after Sky move
Ian Boswell made the leap from Team Sky to Katusha-Alpecin during the off-season and is relishing life at his new team as he tries to realise his potential.
Marcel Kittel: ‘We saw where our mistakes were and what we have to do better’
The German sprinter says his new team are calm about failing to take a win in their first race, with an eye on rectifying it at the Abu Dhabi Tour
Marcel Kittel pictured in 2018 Katusha-Alpecin kit
German sprinter Marcel Kittel and British time trial specialist Alex Dowsett in Katusha-Alpecin's new blue-and-red kit for 2018
Alex Dowsett relishing chance of Marcel Kittel lead-out role with Katusha in 2018
Chance to help sprint train central to Katusha-Alpecin move for Essex TT star
Alexander Kristoff says Tour of Britain frustrations sum up his season
Alexander Kristoff finished in the top-five on seven of the eight stages of the Tour of Britain
Alex Dowsett to leave Movistar for Katusha-Alpecin in 2018
Alex Dowsett leaves Movistar after five years to join Swiss outfit Katusha-Alpecin for 2018
Marcel Kittel leaves Quick-Step Floors to join Katusha-Alpecin for 2018 season
Marcel Kittel will leave Quick-Step Floors at the end of the 2017 season, joining Katusha-Alpecin on a two-year deal as a replacement for Alexander Kristoff.
Ian Boswell to leave Team Sky to join Katusha-Alpecin for 2018
American Ian Boswell leaves Team Sky after four years to take up more leadership opportunities
Alexander Kristoff wins RideLondon-Surrey Classic
Norwegian Alexander Kristoff pays back his Katusha-Alpecin team's hard work with victory in London
Sky and Katusha show off new team kit ahead of 2017 Tour de France
Team Sky and Katusha-Alpecin have been showing off their new jerseys ahead of the 2017 Tour de France. British WorldTour outfit Team Sky have swapped their traditional black kit for…
Simon Spilak wraps up Tour de Suisse overall win as Dennis takes final stage time trial
Rohan Dennis took his second stage win of the WorldTour race on the final day time trial of the 2017 Tour de Suisse
Watch: Katusha-Alpecin staff suspended after emptying septic tank in lay-by at Tour of California
Two Katusha-Alpecin staff members have been suspended after being filmed emptying a septic tank at the side of the road at the Tour of California.
Watch: Alexander Kristoff takes first WorldTour win of season at Eschborn-Frankfurt (video)
Norwegian sprinter Alexander Kristoff leads home a one-two for Katusha-Alpecin at the end of gruelling one-day WorldTour race in Germany
Tony Martin has eight stitches in his face after Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne crash
Tony Martin (Katusha-Alpecin) needed eight stitches in his face after a nasty crash at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, but hopes to be able to ride Paris-Nice.
Tony Martin takes stunning solo win in Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana stage two
Time trial world champion Tony Martin uses his superior power to leave everyone standing and take his first victory for Katusha-Alpecin
Katusha-Alpecin unveil new 2017 team kit
Katusha-Alpecin unveiled their new team clothing at the squad’s 2017 launch event in Calpe, Spain, on Saturday. Shampoo manufacturer Alpecin joins the previously-Russian WorldTour team as co-title-sponsor, having previously sponsored…
Joaquim Rodriguez performs retirement U-turn to join Bahrain-Merida
Joaquim Rodriguez announces he will join Bahrain-Merida in 2017 having previously announced he was to retire from cycling
Katusha to become Katusha-Alpecin for 2017
German hair manufacturer to leave Giant and to form Katusha-Alpecin, with the team's licence swapping from Russia to Switzerland
Katusha to register as a Swiss team in 2017 and reduce number of Russian riders
Katusha will reportedly cut its Russian riders to five in 2017, moving the license registration from Russia to Switzerland
Joaquim Rodriguez forced to shelve immediate retirement plans
Joaquim Rodriguez is scheduled to ride four more races this season, despite planning to retire after the Olympic Games