Kim Andersen has come over from Saxo Bank(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
Leopard Trek financial backer Flavio Becca talks to directeur sportif Kim Andersen (Image credit: Stephen Farrand)
Johan Bruyneel will attempt to work the oracle with Andy Schleck in 2012.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Johan Bruyneel's departure from Team RadioShack-Nissan “was probably the right decision, given the situation,” sports director Kim Andersen has said. The team announced Friday evening that it was ending its contract with the Belgian general manager.
Bruyneel was dismissed as a result of the USADA investigation. The USADA's reasoned decision, released earlier this week, described Bruyneel as a key player in the organised doping which took place at the US Postal Service and Discovery Channel teams. Bruyneel has constantly denied such charges.
Andersen had helped set up the team as Leopard-Trek in the 2011 season and when Bruyneel moved in this year, he was downgraded from team manager to a sport director and not allowed to work at the Tour de France.
The whole situation “is not good for the sport. One can only hope that it's over now, so we can move forward,” Andersen told the Ritzau news agency.
He denied that there were “many conflicts” with Bruyneel this season. “We just didn't have the same opinions. Yes, it has been annoying for me compared to last year, but that was all.”
Andersen has worked with the Schleck brothers for many years and accompanied them to many races. However, in April, Bruyneel announced that Andersen would not be directeur sportif at this year's Tour. Things are “very different on the team this year,” Andersen said diplomatically at the time.
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