Piil looking forward to magenta

By Susan Westemeyer

"I think that T-Mobile is doing the right thing with its new philosophy," said team newcomer Jakob Piil. In particular, the Dane liked the idea of the new management. "Many teams are led by ex-pros, but T-Mobile has a former top manager in Bob Stapleton. He will bring fresh ideas to the team and to cycling," he said in an interview on the team's website.

The 33 year-old rode for Team CSC for the last seven years and decided to "make the cut and try again in a new team." He has known T-Mobile Directeur Sportif Brian Holm a long time, and at the end of the Tour de France this summer, "mentioned to him that I would consider a change to Bonn. A few days later I had the first contract proposal and didn't have to think about whether I wanted to sign for very long."

Piil looks forward to working with the younger riders, which he also did at CSC. "I looked after the younger riders, not just athletically but also on such things as financial questions. As a younger rider you have to learn a lot and sometimes make mistakes. It's very important in this phase to have someone who supports you, shares their experience and helps you to develop further."

Piil said that his goal at T-Mobile was "to help the team, so that it stays one of the best teams in the world." He wasn't not totally selfless, though, adding, "A stage win in one of the Grand Tours would naturally be great."