Tag: Saxo Bank-Tinkoff

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Trey Greenwood Leaves Riis Cycling

Trey Greenwood Leaves Riis CyclingFollowing internal reorganisation managing director Trey Greenwood is set to leave Riis Cycling, owners of Team Saxo-Tinkoff, at the end of March after more than five years with the company. Owner Bjarne Riis, a former Tour de France winner, and the management of Riis Cycling have been working on reshaping of the company in order to further strengthen their focus on the commercial and sporting activities; Riis himself will take over as CEO although some responsibilities of the position will be hived off to new newly created technical director and a commercial director positions.

 

Commenting on his decision to split with the company Greenwood said, ‘It has been a very exiting and eventful five and a half years with the team. It has been a period of great change and many challenges, and when I look back at the team, I initially joined and consider the team that I leave now, I am very proud of the progress we have made, and the accomplishments we have shared, not only on the road, but commercially as well. The company now goes into a new phase, and I am ready to explore new opportunities and look for new challenges….’

 

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Saxo-Bank In, Katusha Out

Saxo-Bank make UCI licence, Team Katusha out of 2013Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank has finally been granted a ProTour licence for 2013. There had been fears that next year’s biggest races would not feature Saxo-Bank and their star rider Alberto Contador, after the Danish team failed to make the grade for their WorldTour licence, leaving them fighting for wildcard places and individual invites to the Giro d’Italia, Vuelta a Espana and Tour de France.

 

However one teams gain is another’s loss, as Saxo-Bank’s place has only now been guaranteed because Russian team Katusha has had their ProTour status declined by the International Cycling Union (UCI). Something of a mystery surrounds Katusha’s failure to make the grade (they finished second in the Tour standings this year behind Team Sky) with the UCI economically and enigmatically stating, ‘The request from the team Katusha for registration in the first division has been rejected.’

 

The UCI award team points for ProTour status based, in part, on the performance of the top 12 riders and results from the two previous years although the exact criteria remains somewhat shrouded in mystery. Saxo Bank had initially found themselves lacking in no small part due to Contador’s ban for clenbuterol use.

 

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Timmy Duggan Finds Eleventh Hour Home

Saxo Bank-Tinkoff new signingsThe shape of the 2012 season – or at least the shape of teams – is continuing to make itself known with the news that Saxo Bank-Tinkoff has signed new deals with American Timmy Duggan and Russian Evgeny Petrov. 30-year-old Duggan, winner of this year’s US National Road Race Championships, has signed a one-year deal after unexpectedly becoming available when his plans to join SpiderTech fell apart due to the Canadian team’s decision to suspend racing across 2013. Giro d’Italia stage winner Petrov joins on a two-year contract, leaving behind Astana.

 

Of his signing, Duggan says: ‘I am thrilled to join Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank. After my previous team turned out the lights, I was left scrambling for a job, but luckily Bjarne (Riis, Team Owner) saw a good opportunity in me and felt that I would be a good fit for the team. So I am thrilled to make a late signing into a fantastic situation.’

 

Back in the UK and Team Sky have unveiled their latest member with Shaun Stephens coming on board as Performance Coach. The 37-year-old Australian comes from a predominantly triathlon background and joins Sky from his role as Head Coach and Programme Manager at the Australian Institute of Sport and Triathlon to work fulltime alongside Head of Performance Tim Kerrison. Commenting on Stephens’ less than conventional background, Team Principle Dave Brailsford said, ‘Shaun’s appointment continues Team Sky’s commitment to assembling the very best coaching and support staff in the world, without being afraid to look beyond the arena of cycling…’