Tom Steels hired by Quick Step
Team Quick Step has announced the hiring of former sprinter Tom Steels as a trainer and part-time race director.
Steels rode for the previous incarnation of Quick Step, Team Mapei, from 1996 to 2002 and has a long history with then-and-now manager Patrick Lefevere.
"I'm very happy to be working with one of the strongest teams in the world. I also know many members of this group, whom I've already had the chance to work with, back when I was a rider."
The cyclist retired in 2008 and has since developed Powertec, a computer-based cyclist training method that Lefevere’s Belgian team will be adopting in 2011.
"It's a system that analyses and elaborates data collected from the athletes through power measuring instruments used by every rider during training and competitions to improve their performance. My thanks to the squad for the faith they are showing me."
Lefevere announced the signing of the former sprinter on Friday, 29 October, which was based both on the strength of Powertec and also for the 39-year-old’s race-winning experience.
While at Mapei, Steels won the Belgian national championships three times and took nine stage wins at the Tour de France. In 1997, he was infamously ejected from the race for throwing a water bottle at Frederic Moncassin during a sprint finish, but the next
year he went on to win four stages including the Tour finale on the Champs-Elysées in Paris.
"We're happy to have Tom with us," said Lefevere. "After a series of meetings with our staff we managed to work out a deal. His training methods are considered valid and efficient. Tom will also get the chance to put all his experience as a rider and his
vision of the race to work for the team as occasional sports director for some particular times during the season."
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