Holm to direct Omega Pharma-Quick Step at 2012 Tour de France

Brian Holm was surprised to learn he will be at the Tour de France next year. The Dane, who will be a directeur sportif for Omega Pharma-Quick Step in the coming season, had thought that 2011 would be his last visit to the race, where he guided HTC-Highroad to six stage wins.

At the recent training camp for his new team, Holm saw his calendar for the upcoming year. “I will take on one more Tour de France, although I would have thought 2011 would be the last one,” he told sporten.dk.

He also got to meet a former world champion at the training camp. “Tom Boonen has proved to be the strongest in the testing that has been made, so physically he still has what it takes. But it is clear that he now has been riding at top level for so many years that for him it is now both about finding his place and gaining new motivation,” he said.

Holm looked back stoically at the end of HTC-Highroad, having worked for the team and its predecessors since 2003. “It is quite unsentimental having to close a team. When it's over, it's over.

“Everything must go, when you close a team. This includes everything from the team bus to the bikes, jerseys and drink bottles. It all gets sold for  the highest possible price.”