Silence-Lotto, the Belgian professional cycling team, has the pleasure to announce that Bernhard Kohl has signed a three years contract, from 2009 to 2011. So the revelation of the 2008 Tour de France will be able to blossom within the Silence-Lotto atmosphere, and to become an absolute value at the top of the great tours without being immediately set under pressure. With Cadel Evans, Silence-Lotto has an absolute leader for the coming two years. The team management is certain that Cadel Evans and Bernhard Kohl will be completely complementary with regard on circumstances. With this important transfer, Silence-Lotto has two 2008 Tour de France podiums in its ranks. Additionally, one of Bernhard Kohl's present team mates, Sebastian Lang, has signed a two years contract with our team.

After having also reinforced the nucleus of team classics team with Philippe Gilbert and more riders, Silence-Lotto hopes to be able to race at the top within a peloton which turns every year a bit more international.

These two top transfers tally perfectly with Silence-Lotto's policy.

Omega Pharma's anti-snoring product breaks regularly through new international markets. This month, Silence will be in Austria, and thus Bernhard Kohl's transfer was ideally timed. Omega Pharma has also important commercial assets in Austria through the Bittner production plant at Feldkirchen.

For the Belgian National Lottery, the Belgian dimension remains primordial, and Philippe Gilbert's arrivals as well as the positive evolution of young talents such as Greg Van Avermaet and Jürgen Roelandts have much importance.

These reinforcements of the team have been made possible also by the move of Q8 into third main sponsor of the team. After having been a regular sponsor for the last three years, Kuwait Petroleum Belgium will increase its participation in 2009, becoming our third sponsor. This sponsoring is in keeping with Q8's image, dynamic and innovative. Q8 will sponsor all Silence-Lotto teams from 2009 on, and their logo will appear on all equipments, riders and staff, national and international, pro team as well as youth teams.

This cycle racing sponsoring will be shown at all stations of the Q8 network throughout the Benelux countries, and with all Kuwait Petroleum communication activities in 2009.

And so, Q8 will take an important part to the Silence-Lotto ambitions in 2009.

And the group of smaller, but so important sponsors of Silence-Lotto will grow with the arrival of Lalemant, company active in navigation and international logistic. (http://www.lalemant.com)

These new sponsors and new riders, added to the recently announced new cycles sponsor Canyon, as well as the less recent transfers (Wegelius, Ljungblad, Delage, Staf Scheirlinckx, Stubbe and Cretskens) give Silence-Lotto all reasons to hope to be play an important part in the captivating coming cycling year!

Contact: Silence-Lotto: Marc Coucke, +32 93810215.
Contact: Q8: Katia Van Bouwel, +32 32413757
Q8 adverts: PR Partners, Francine Robbens, +32 27610810.

Bernhard Kohl

Nationality: Austrian
04/01/1982
1.72 m - 61 kg.

teams :
2005 > 2006: T-Mobile
2007 > 2008: Gerolsteiner

Bernhard Kohl rode in 2004 with the team Rabobank GSIII, going pro in 2005 with T-Mobile. This year, he achieved several good results at Österreich Rundfahrt.

In 2006, he was Austrian TT champion, and finished 3rd at Dauphiné Libéré. He was ten times within the Top 10 at Dauphiné Libéré, Österreich Rundfahrt and Vuelta. At the Österreich Rundfahrt, he was crowned "Glocknerkönig'".

His best 2007 result was 6th of stage 15 at Tour de France, but his breakthrough came at 2008 Tour. He finished 4th, 5th and twice 10th of mountain stages, and 9th of the final ITT. He won the dotted jersey and was 3rd on the podium at Paris.

teams :
2002  2008: Gerolsteiner