News
Road

Schmidt joins Katusha as directeur sportif

By Cycling News

published 31 October 2011

Former Leopard DS reunited with Hans-Michael Holczer

Comments

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Image 1 of 3

Torsten Schmidt (Wiesenhof Akud)(Image credit: Shane Goss)

Gerolsteiner team manager Hans-Michael Holczer(Image credit: Florian Schaaf)

The Katusha team(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)

Torsten Schmidt has joined Katusha as a directeur sportif for 2012. The German spent the past year with Leopard Trek, which has merged with RadioShack ahead of next season.

Schmidt new directeur sportif at CSC

Schmidt leaving Gerolsteiner

Holczer announced as Katusha General Manager

Schmidt was also appointed Swiss national team coach in August, but it is understood that he will leave that role in order to focus on his duties at Katusha.

“Of course, you’re sorry to leave when you’ve been successful with great riders like Cancellara or the Schlecks,” Schmidt said. “I wish those riders and the entire team all the best.”

Schmidt was appointed by recently-installed Katusha manager Hans-Michael Holczer. “Schmidt has proven that he is one of the best young directeur sportifs on the circuit, and I wanted the best people for my team,” Holczer said, according to radsport-news.com.

Holczer managed Schmidt when he was a rider at Gerolsteiner between 2000 and 2005. Another former Gerolsteiner rider, Uwe Peschel, is also set to join Katusha’s management staff, while Christian Henn has already been confirmed as a directeur sportif.