Rolf Aldag to liaise with technical sponsors, coordinate sport directors for Omega Pharma
Rolf Aldag expands his role at Omega Pharma-Quick Step in 2013, now coordinating both technical partners and coaching and race personnel
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Omega Pharma-Quick Step development manager Rolf Aldag will expand his role with the team for 2013 as sport and development manager. He is reported to have recently left his post with the World Triathlon Corporation in Germany.
The former HTC-Highroad director, who worked with Mark Cavendish (Sky) from 2007 through 2011, will manage equipment sponsors and coordinate coaching and racing staff, according to a press release issued Thursday morning.
In his continuing role as development manager, Aldag will liaise with technical and equipment partners such as SRAM, Quarq, and, perhaps most prominently, Specialized, aboard which new signing Cavendish will chase his first-ever yellow jersey in stage 1 of the 2013 Tour de France.
“As development manager I will work towards developing strong relationships with our technical partners, first and foremost of which is Specialized,” Aldag said of that aspect of his new title.
Aldag’s newly-added role as sport manager sees him handle coordination between sports directors, who handle racing and race programs, and team coaches, responsible for the riders’ training and fitness.
The German, who raced in the pro ranks from 1991 through 2005, and spent 13 of those years with Telekom, said of his newly-added role, “As sport manager I will be responsible for coordinating the athletes in collaboration with the team’s experienced staff, whose competence I came to know and appreciate last year.”
“The dialogue with the sports directors and team coaches will be fundamental in further improving the organizational aspect,” Aldag added.
“Rolf’s full time involvement in the team is important to developing our project,” said team manager Patrick Lefevere. “Rolf’s skills and experience will be essential both from a technical and an organizational aspect. Ours is a group that is growing step by step. Every small detail is fundamental to bring us to a high level.”
With both Tom Boonen and Cavendish under one roof next year, and in the absence of Levi Leipheimer, Omega Pharma could well display its “high level” in the classics and in the sprints next year.