Development Team DSM recruit the talented Moritz Kärsten, Max Poole and Joris Reinderink

Team DSM are delighted to announce the signing of three talented youngsters to their Development program with Moritz Kärsten, Max Poole and Joris Reinderink all joining the team in 2022. Kärsten and Reinderink will wear the team’s distinctive two-striped jersey until at least the end of 2023, while Poole will ride in the Development program in 2022, before making the step up to the Men’s program the following year and through the 2024 season.

Moritz Kärsten (GER)

The powerful German youngster Kärsten has taken some strong results in his two years within the junior category. 2020 saw him claim a very respectable fifth place in the national time trial championships, before second place in the road race later that year. This season has seen him continue his upwards trajectory with a podium finish in the time trial, before a tenacious set of results at Internationale Juniorenrundfahrt earned him a fine third place on GC after the three days, following up from the same placing overall at the Ronde Sud Bourgogne. Since then Kärsten has finished in the top 15 at both the road race and time trial at the European Championships, alongside an impressive second place at the tough GP Bob Jungels.

Kärsten said: “I’m really looking forward to joining Team DSM’s Development program next year. I’ve already been working with Sebastian Deckert [one of the team’s trainers], and it’s gone really well so far, its a great fit. I have heard a lot of good things about the team and I’m really looking forward to getting to know everyone properly. I admire the team’s way of working and how closely they work with the riders, focusing on their development and a long-term plan, and I’m excited to start my journey with them. In the coming years I want to show my strengths; whether that be working hard in support of the team’s goals, or if I get the chance to go for a result with the team.”

Team DSM head of coaching Rudi Kemna continued: “Moritz is an exciting German talent coming from Team Wipotec RLP and is someone that we’re looking forward to having in the team next year. Currently in the junior ranks his main speciality is the time trial and it’s an event that he’s very strong in. He can also hang tough over some climbs and as a result has taken some good GC placings in races. Like all of our young riders, we’ll aim for more general development with Moritz in his first two years, and with our way of working and the team’s experts, we’re looking forward to going on that journey together.”

Photo Credit: © David Partridge

Max Poole (GBR)

A good opening year in the junior category in 2020 saw Poole finish inside the top 16 on every stage or race that he entered, including a second place in the time trial at GP Rüebliland where he took fifth on GC and fourth place overall at La Philippe Gilbert Juniors. 2021 has seen Poole take more great results, starting his season out strongly in the UK with GC wins at the Junior Tour of Yorkshire and Junior Tour of Mendips alongside the national junior road race title. Racing abroad again recently at the GP Rüebliland, Poole won the opening stage before another string of good results saw him end the race in tenth on GC.

Poole said: “I wanted to join Team DSM because the project and vision was very clear and something I could really buy into, which was very important to me. I’m looking forward to stepping up to the U23 level with the Development program. It’s a very friendly environment so I think I should be able to slot straight in and get to work right away. In the short term it’s all about developing as best as possible and working with the team to help me become the best rider I can be. Looking to the future years, I hope to be able to win as many bike races as we can together and have great successes with the team.”

Team DSM head of coaching Rudi Kemna added: “As a first-year junior, Max really impressed us at several different European races where he took some great results and showed that he is one of the best in his year group. This year he has raced mostly in the United Kingdom so far and has been quite dominant there with a few wins including the road race title and a podium in the TT. Right now he’s a very strong all-round rider; packing a fast sprint, a good TT and punchy on the hills. It will be a nice adventure for us and Max together to see where his specialities lie in the future, as for now we’ll focus on his general development, building on his current team Fensham Howes – MAS Design’s great foundations.”

Photo Credit: © Milan van Wersch

Joris Reinderink (NED)

Like many, Reinderink’s first year in the juniors was unfortunately cut short in 2020 due to the pandemic, with only a handful of national and international races. However, 2021 has seen him pick up an impressive string of results throughout the season so far with good top ten GC placings in Vuelta al Besaya and Valromey juniors, and a strong fourth place after a challenging day out in Course de la Paix Juniors. Joining his brother, Pepijn, Reinderink is looking forward to continuing his progression with Development Team DSM.

Reinderink said: “I’m happy to join Team DSM next year, and from the very first conversations we had together it was clear we think the same way about training and the processes to be become a better rider in the future. They have shown that young riders can develop themselves in a professional environment with the help from all of their experts, and the knowledge they have within the team. I’m also very happy to ride with my brother Pepijn again, who’s been in the team from the start of this season and he’s been very positive about the approach and collaboration. I have developed myself as more of a climber in the past few years as a junior, and I hope to continue that with the team but also to get better as a rider overall, becoming smarter and more tactical too. I’m looking forward to riding some nice races where we can hopefully achieve some good results together.”

Team DSM head of coaching Rudi Kemna said: “Joris is Pepijn’s younger brother and he’s someone we’ve had our eye on for a while. A talented climber, Joris is strong on the hills but he’s also quite an all-round rider with his team Acrog-Tormans BC U19 developing him well in the past two years. With the guidance of our experts in the team and our way of working, then we also believe that there are still a lot of progress margins for him too. At Course de la Paix Juniors a few weeks ago he was up against some world class contenders and there he was able to take the competition to them, with some solid rides. In the next two years we will continue to develop him as an all-round rider and then see where his best qualities lie going into the future after that.”