Kirchen offered new role at Katusha after heart attack

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Katusha team manager Andrei Tchmil has visited Kim Kirchen in Luxembourg and offered him a new administrative role in the team following his heart attack during the Tour de Suisse.

According to a statement issued by the team, Tchmil and Kirchen talked for two hours about plans for the future. It is not clear if Kirchen will be able to race as a professional as he still awaiting the results of detailed medical checks. A few days ago Kirchen said he hopes to be back on his bike but Tchmil advised him to consider other options, especially after the recent birth of his two children.

“Kim seemed to be very well and I’m so glad about it," Tchmil said in the statement.

"We’ll stay close to him like we've done with other Katusha riders in the last two years when they've been forced to miss a large part of the season due to illness or injury.

"Now he’s father of two beautiful twins and he has to think about them first of all. Everything else will sort itself out. I offered Kim a new role in our team, different from that as a rider and something that suits his character and ability. I think we can find something and work together”.

Kirchen suffered a cardiac arrest late in the evening of June 18, mid-way through the Tour de Suisse. He told roommate Joaquim Rodriguez he was not feeling well and team doctor gave him CPR treatment before he was rushed to hospital. He was placed in an induced coma for four days and remained in hospital for a further week.