The Saxo Bank boys wind down after a hectic finale. (Image credit: Elmar Krings)
Team Saxo Bank is going through its last survival camp organised by Bjorn Christiansen. He announced that after 10 years he is ending his work with the team.
“I've been with Team Saxo Bank for 10 years and have been incredibly happy and incredibly proud to build the team up from scratch,” he told the Danish broadcaster TV 2 Sport. “We have won the Tour de France and many other great victories, but now it is time that the guys must fend for themselves.”
Christiansen, 57, is a former Special Forces soldier who specialises in coaching and team building. In addition to the survival camps, he was worked for the team at the Tour de France, helping to resolve internal problems that may arise, driving a team car during time trials, and acting as a bodyguard.
He will now work with the Danish football club FC Midtjylland.
Christiansen introduced the idea of a survival camp as training for a cycling team, a concept which many other teams have adopted. This year Saxo Bank is doing their camp on Fuertaventura in the Canary Islands. Earlier survival camps in Scandinavia have often featured snow and cold.
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