the Rumor about Bjarne Riis’s upcoming comeback as a manager or team owner at the highest level in the sport has until now shown themselves to be highly exaggerated. Nothing happened, but now Riis and his partners, where they convened a press conference at Hotel d’angleterre in Copenhagen on Wednesday.
‘Exciting news about the future,’ reads the agenda for the press conference. It can cover much more than the acquisition of a professional team, but the dream of just that are still alive.
It found Riis’s partner in the Virtu Cycling Group Lars Seier Christensen, in his new year speech on Facebook:
‘I admit that it has taken longer than Bjarne Riis and I figured, when we started the project in 2016, but it remains our goal to be at the highest level, when the tour (Tour de France, red.) starting in Copenhagen in 2021’, wrote Seier Christensen.
‘I think there is a chance of good news during the month of January, but if not, it becomes difficult to reach’.
the Focal point of the heath of dreams is believed to be the south african World Tour-team NTT Pro Cycling, which has two danes riders in the squad, namely: Michael Valgren and Andreas Stokbro.
the Staff of the south african team is now in place, and the list of names must give the rumor about Riis’s acquisition sustenance, for which a string of names attached to him.
A source in more than a decade has worked in the professional field, the information to Ekstra Bladet, several of the new members of NTT staff straight forward to be employed at the discretion of the Riis in the expectation that he would take over the team.
It has not been possible to get confirmed that Riis should have had such an influence.
the Sport is a small world, where employees frequently move around between the teams, but it is striking, however, that so many old acquaintances ended on just the team as Riis put in connection with:
Lars Michaelsen has scored an absolute top jobs at NTT Pro Cycling, where he is the lead singer. Photo: Claus Bonnerup / Ritzau Scanpix
Leading sports director on the team are Lars Michaelsen, who in his time was a rider on Riis’ Team CSC, and was the sports director at Riis’ service, before he switched to Astana and now to the NTT.
Lars Bak is the assistant sports director. He drove for several years for Riis on Team CSC. Directly when asked when his new job was known, whether he is employed at the NTT on Bjarne Riis’ request, replied Bak: ‘No comment’.
Teamlæge Piet de Moor was for many years physician at Team CSC and Team Saxo Bank. He should be one of them, as directly recommended by Riis. The Moor, which comes from a position on the Trek-Segafredo, has not answered the numerous calls from Ekstra Bladet.
another of the team’s doctors are Piet Daneels. Also, he was in his time employed at Team Saxo Bank. It was the French soigneur Lynda Cossard also. She should also be employed on a call from Riis. As The Moor, she comes from the Trek-Segafredo.
Piet de Moor congratulates the australian Michael Rogers with the world championships for Team Tinkoff-Saxo in 2014. Photo: Claus Bonnerup / Ritzau Scanpix
The Danish soigneur Steffen Lundsgaard, which also appear on NTT’s website, worked in its time for Team Saxo-Tinkoff.
The Spanish mechanic Alejandro Torralbo was chefmekaniker on Team Saxo Bank and was a Tour winner Carlos Sastres personal mechanic. He comes from a position on Katusha. Also he had to be downloaded to NTT on Riis’s request.
the New mechanic on the World Tour level is Danish Peter Nielsen, who in 2019 worked on Riis’ Danish kontinentalhold Team Waoo.
Finally, one of the sportsdirektørerne Alex Sans Vega, which in its time was a soigneur at Team CSC. He has, however, been employed on the south african team for several years.
New to the team is also the Danish landsholdslæge Lars Juel Andersen, acting on the team’s newly re-opened website as the ‘race doctor’. Andersen has not been to make a comment.
Bjarne Riis and ceo of Virtu Cycling Group, Anders Gram Simonsen, does not answer calls from Ekstra Bladet. Lars Seier Christensen announced shortly before the new year at sms, that he has no comments to the future of Virtu Cycling Group.
See also: Lars Bak will be in the field – here is his new job
See also: the Group crumbles: it Becomes something, Bjarne?
See also: Lose 150,000 Danish kroner: Riis take important decision
See also: Violent arrest: Breaks arm during the commotion
Cycling – 27. dec. 2019 – at. 07:23 – It’s some of the most crazy – ever!
