Soon-to-be-retired Australian professional rider Matt White will be joining Team Slipstream/Chipotle's ranks as one of the team's European directors in 2008. White will join current Slipstream director Johnny Weltz in running the squad's expanded European program.
White began his career in 1992 with the Australian National Team. He's raced for US Postal Service, Cofidis, and Discovery Channel this past season. "It's a hard decision to retire for any professional athlete, but my decision was made a lot easier when I was given the opportunity to be involved in the Slipstream/Chipotle program." White is impressed by the team's ethical strategy and its mix of youth and experience on and off the bike. He predicts the team "will adapt quickly in becoming a force to be reckoned with in the world of cycling."
An excited White hopes to bring his passion for the sport with him to Slipstream. "With 12 years in the pro peloton, I have worked for many great champions and seen firsthand when a team works dismally and also run like clockwork. The majority of our team is young and in the process of developing their strengths and skills in the super competitive world of European cycling. Being now surrounded now with team-mates of the caliber of [David] Millar, [David] Zabriskie, [Magnus] Backstedt, [Christian] Vande Velde and [Julian] Dean, I know with proper leadership these young riders will thrive on the new challenges they will face."
Slipstream Sports President & CEO Jonathan Vaughters commented on White's signing, "Matt has always been a witty and unique member of the peloton. I imagine that he'll become an even more influential part of international cycling now that he's in a leadership role."
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