After leaving Liv Racing with immediate effect, Lars Boom has taken up a managerial role with rival team SD Worx.
The Dutchman, who has signed a two-year contract, will officially take up his new position later this year on October 1, in time to coach new signing 19-year-old Kata Blanka Vas through the cyclo-cross season.
He will then join the WorldTeam's road programme for the 2022 campaign, working under team boss Danny Stam and alongside current world champion Anna van der Breggen, who will retire at the end of 2021 to take up a managerial role, and former world champion Chantal van den Broeck-Blaak, who'll do the same next May.
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"I had a good time at my previous team, but when the best women's team in the peloton knocks on your door, it feels like a great and unique opportunity," said Boom, who was set to see out his 2021 contract with Liv before the team decided to part ways immediately.
"In the last years of my career I combined the three disciplines of field, road and mountain bike. With Kata Blanka Vas we have a young world champion in the field and on the mountain bike. I hope that I can use my experience to help her make further progress. I see it as a rewarding challenge to work with her."
"I think I can still learn a lot from Danny. I also think it is fun to work with Anna and Chantal, who have experienced everything in women's cycling, and who will also start a new challenge next year. With my years of experience in men's cycling, I hope to be able to share a certain vision. We all have different insights into cycling, so we can form a nice team."
Boom was the elite men's 'cross world champion in 2008 before he focused more on the road, racing for Rabobank, Astana, and Jumbo-Visma. He stepped down a division to join Roompot Charles but called an end to his road career at the end of 2019, before moving to the women's peloton in joining Liv Racing as performance manager part-way through 2020.
Although SD Worx are losing Van der Breggen as a rider, Boom will still be able to work with rising Classics star Demi Vollering, who won Liège-Bastogne-Liège in April, and he'll also link back up with Le Samyn winner Lotte Kopecky, who will also move from Liv to SD Worx for 2022.
"It is an absolute advantage that Lars Boom has been active in his successful career on the road, the 'cross and on the mountain bike," said Stam.
"Lars made a good, fresh impression on me. His enthusiasm and drive struck me. He is always very involved with his riders. We see a lot of opportunities in people who have gained a lot of knowledge in practice and who can be a reinforcement for our technical staff."
