The firings may not be over at Team T-Mobile: it looks like team manager Olaf Ludwig and Sport Director Mario Kummer could be the next, according to L'Equipe. Kummer is to be replaced by former rider Rolf Aldag, the paper says, but it fails to explain who would buy the team and Pro Tour license from Ludwig and his Olaf Ludwig Cycling GmbH. Bob Stapleton, directeur sportif of the T-Mobile women's team, is allegedly set to become either Ludwig's assistant or his replacement.
Christian Frommert, T-Mobile spokesman, said that "we are discussing everything. The discussions will take place after the Tour team's reception in Bonn," on Monday. He added that, "Aldag has been working as an advisor for us since he stopped riding."
According to L'Equipe, the proposed changes have nothing to do with Operacion Puerto, but are part of a general team reform. "We will be looking at everything," said Frommert.
He elaborated on this to www.spiegel.de, although these comments seem to play down the removal of Ludwig. "Stapleton has been with the team a couple of months, at the Tour, too, and Rolf Aldag has been advising us this year. After our return from France we want to talk about how the two can play a more intensive role. But we've been planning that a long time. It has nothing to do with throwing out or buying out Olaf Ludwig."
The team has "a lot to talk about", he added. "We will all sit down together: management, sport directors, and riders. Then we will talk about everything: how to prevent another Jan Ullrich case, and how to be prepared for something like that, with new rules of conduct and internal changes."
