T-Mobile sees riders as "ambassadors" for sponsor

By Susan Westemeyer

T-Mobile's Chief Finance Officer Thomas G. Winkler took advantage of a charity fund-raiser to better know two of the team's riders, and to explain the future relations between the sponsor and the team. Winkler, Linus Gerdemann and newcomer Gerald Ciolek took part in a spinning session to raise money for charity.

Winkler told www.t-mobile-team.com that "The focus has changed at T-Mobile. Going forward the sponsor will have less influence on the team's sporting decisions, but the relationship with the riders will be stronger. As ambassadors for T-Mobile, it is important that the riders can properly relate to the company, the brand and the employees," he stressed. "We want the riders to feel a strong sense of responsibility to T-Mobile."

Winkler added that he enjoyed getting to know the riders in a relaxed and informal atmosphere. "We sometimes meet at press conferences, presentations and other events; where there's little time to properly get to know each other. Joining forces tonight has brought us a whole lot closer."

Gerdemann agreed, saying, "It really means a lot to us as riders to enjoy an evening like this with a senior figure from T-Mobile. It's a chance to have fun, swap stories and experiences and see things from a different perspective. Overall, it strengthens our connection to T-Mobile."