Thanks very much Rik Verbrugghe salutes from the podium(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
The BMC team was well represented.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Directors LeLangue and Sayers meet with Team President Jim Ochowicz before the ride.(Image credit: www.epicimages.us)
Rik Verbrugghe will be a directeur sportif with BMC next season. The former Tour de France and Giro d’Italia stage winner retired from racing at the end of 2008 and has been part of Quick Step’s management for the past two years.
“BMC Racing Team has a bright future ahead of it, with both young and experienced riders,” Verbrugghe said. “It also has a very modern approach and that’s crucial. This team will be very productive very soon.”
BMC Racing president Jim Ochowicz was pleased with the capture of Verbrugghe’s services: “He’s someone who’s fresh off the racing scene, but who also has experience in the field directing a ProTour level team.”
Verbrugghe will serve as directeur sportif at many of the one-week stage races in the early part of 2011, while Fabio Baldato will take charge of the team at the Giro d’Italia. Michael Sayers will be behind the wheel for American races, including the Tour of California.
“Even though Rik only has two years of experience as a directeur sportif, he has a great insight into all the races,” BMC manager John Lelangue said. “From talking to him during races we’ve both been at, we seem to share the same view of things.”
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Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.
