Thomas Liese must withdraw from trainer's post due to illness
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Germany's Judith Arndt has been on the podium at worlds, but never won the time trial(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Ina Teutenberg is the team's most experienced rider(Image credit: Sonoko Tanaka)
Ronny Lauke has become the interim trainer for the German national women's road team, and will guide them at the 2012 London Olympics. He replaces Thomas Liese, who has had to withdraw due to illness.
Lauke, 35, is currently team manager and sport director for the US-based women's team Specialized-Lululemon. He was a junior world champion on the track and rode professionally from 1997 to 2004. He first became a sport director in 2008 with the HTC-Columbia women's team.
“We are happy to have found an experienced expert like Ronny Lauke, who is well-accepted by all the riders, as a replacement for the ill national trainer Thomas Liese,” said German cycling federation sport director Patrick Moster.
The German team is expected to be led by World time trial champion Judith Arndt (Orica-GreenEdge) and Ina Teutenberg of Specialized-Lululemon, who placed third in the World's road race.
Liese's illness was not further explained, but he was hospitalized for heart problems at the track World Cup meet in Colombia, in December 2011. The 43-year-old has been national women's trainer since 2008. It is not known when or if he might return to his duties.
The track endurance riders will be trained by Sven Meyer (men's endurance trainer) and Helmut Taudte (junior endurance trainer).
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