Behind the quiet demeanour(Image credit: Shane Stokes)
Eneco Tour winner Bobby Julich (CSC)(Image credit: AFP)
Julich shadows Marco Pantani in the 1998 Tour(Image credit: AFP)
Team Sky has announced that Bobby Julich is joining the team as a race coach for the 2011 season and will assist riders with training, time trial skills and development.
The 38 year-old rode as a professional from 1992 to 2008 and finished third in the 1998 Tour de France behind Marco Pantani and Jan Ullrich. In 2005 he also won Paris-Nice, Critérium International and the Eneco Tour while riding for CSC. He then joined Bjarne Riis’ team as a coach, working closely with Andy Schleck to improve his time trialling skills but was not retained for 2011.
Julich will work with Rod Ellingworth, who said in a statement from the team: "There's a line of communication and we really want to work on that area and Bobby will be part of that. That's my idea in terms of the coaching planning and Bobby is the first one to come in to help me deliver it.
"Bobby hasn't ever worked in this style before so that's going to be his challenge but he's completely up for that and is really looking forward to it. He's come here and had a good look around and can see that it works.
“We have a long-term view and a coaching structure that we are aiming to work towards. Bobby is the first new person to be taken on with that in mind. The role is very much to be a one-on-one coach with a few of our key riders.
"Race coaching is everything to do with the athletes' lives. It involves so much; planning, supporting the riders whenever they need it - whether it's time trialling, positional and tactical work - basically whatever is needed to help them in every area. It could even be getting them back on track after an illness.
"We obviously also want to make sure that he has his input. He's got some great experience - and we want to learn from that - so he'll be a good member of the team."
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Julich said: "I am extremely excited to be joining Team Sky. I have been in the same system for seven years and look forward to learning a new one and meeting new people.”
"I think I will fit in perfectly with this team and hope that my experience will help this team progress and reach its goals for the future."
Julich is expected to attend Team Sky's first get together of the winter later in November.
Stephen is one of the most experienced members of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. Before becoming Editor-at-large, he was Head of News at Cyclingnews. He has previously worked for Shift Active Media, Reuters and Cycling Weekly. He is a member of the Board of the Association Internationale des Journalistes du Cyclisme (AIJC).
