The Leopard-Trek team of 2011 was built on the many of the foundations Bjarne Riis had helped set up. Along with a talent base that included the Schleck brothers, Jacob Fuglsang, Fabian Cancellara and Jens Voigt, the team was run by Kim Anderson and Brian Nygaard, both of whom had served under Riis’s management at CSC and Saxobank.
At his book launch - Stages of Light and Dark – in London last week, Riis spoke about his rider management style, admitting that he allows himself to get too close to riders but that it’s an important element of bonding as he aims to draw out the best from his staff.
He also admits that losing his riders to rival teams is "part of the game" while in his autobiography he discloses that the loss of Fabian Cancellara was one of the hardest departure he has dealt with.