Michał Gołaś has joined Bahrain Victorious as a directeur sportif for 2022. The 37-year-old domestique retired from the professional peloton at the end of this season, with Paris-Roubaix marking his final competitive outing with Ineos Grenadiers.
“I’m excited to start a new chapter with Bahrain Victorious with new ambitions and goals,” Gołaś said in a statement released by his new team on Thursday.
“I’m motivated to work hard and get experience in the new role. I jump straight from the bike to the team car, so I’ll try to share my experience gained as a rider, but there is a lot to learn from this ambitious group.”
Gołaś turned professional with Unibet in 2007. He later had a brief stint at Continental level with Amica Chips before signing with Vacansoleil in 2009. He rode for QuickStep between 2012 and 2015 before moving to Team Sky with his fellow countryman Michał Kwiatkowski in 2016.
He won two races as a professional, claiming the Polish national title in 2012 and then winning the Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen in his final season at QuickStep.
Gołaś’ addition to the management staff at Bahrain Victorious comes after the squad lost directeur sportif Roger Hammond to Ineos Grenadiers for 2022. Hammond will link up with Rod Ellingworth, who spent the 2020 season as manager at Bahrain.
Bahrain Victorious enjoyed a remarkable 2021 campaign, winning stages in all three Grand Tours and placing Damiano Caruso and Jack Haig on the podium at the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España, respectively, while Sonny Colbrelli landed victory at Paris-Roubaix in October.
Last month, Bahrain Victorious issued a statement to dismiss suggestions that hair testing on three of their riders searched by French police during the Tour de France revealed traces of the powerful muscle relaxant Tizanidine.
