After announcing his retirement as a professional rider, Ivan Basso is embarking on the next step of his already long career in cycling.
Basso will assume the role as Technical Coordinator of the Tinkoff Team, overseeing, developing and optimizing the collaboration between the athletes and technical functions. “A happy rider is a fast rider”, says Basso, who is currently with the squad at the team meeting in Poreč, Croatia.
Following the announcement in early October that he would end his racing career, Ivan Basso is already active in his new role in Tinkoff Team ahead of the 2016 season. The 37-year old Italian takes on his new function after 17 seasons as a pro and expresses his gratitude towards the team.
“I’m extremely happy and I thank the team owner Oleg Tinkov, the management of the team and the sports directors for their warm welcome in relations to this new role I will have within the team. It’s a very important opportunity for me to start a new path in my career.
I will be the link and coordinator between the riders and the group of sports directors. I will ride with them, I will test the new material, the race courses and I will do whatever is necessary to help the team”, comments Ivan Basso.
As Head Sports Director of Tinkoff Team, Steven de Jongh underlines the team’s reasons for swiftly deploying Basso as Technical Coordinator.
“It’s a pleasure to formally welcome Ivan in his new role with the team. He is an integrated part of the squad and a great teammate and friend, so the transition has been very smooth during the last months.
Ivan has just ended a long and notable career, so he’s obviously very well connected to the life as a pro cyclists and what it takes to perform”, states Steven de Jongh and adds:
“Ivan spent time with me during some of the races of the second part of the season and he’ll be following me during the first period. Surely, you need a lot of passion to do this job and Ivan has that so I’m very confident ahead of the next season.
Without a doubt, a team like us can benefit from Ivan’s experience, when it comes to physiological, mental and technical aspects. He will take on a newly formed position on the team and I honestly can’t think of anybody else, who is more suited to take care of these responsibilities than Ivan”.
