Oct 18th, 09.  He may have just retired from racing, but Steven De Jongh is not finished with cycling just yet.  He will join Team Sky in the New Year as Sports Director, Team Sky announced today.

Steven de Jongh leaves Quickstep as a rider, joins Team Sky as Sports Director (c)QSI/Tim de Waele

The highly-experienced 35-year old Dutch rider ended his active career as a professional bike rider at the Giro del Piemonte this week.

De Jongh has been with the Belgian Quick-Step team for the last four seasons and is known for his wins and consistent results in the cobbled races in Northern Europe.

“Steven brings a lot of knowledge about the classics and the tough one-day races and will be a real asset to Team Sky as a Sports Director," said David Brailsford, Team Principal for Team Sky.

"He has the right character and personality to be an excellent sports director and with him we have another great addition to our management.”

Brailsford said de Jongh was a good communicator and has always been a highly-respected rider.

"I'm convinced that his hands-on knowledge will fit in perfectly with the technical staff we have for the classics and the other important races in our program. I'm convinced that Steven is the right person for the job,” he said.

Steven De Jongh said he was perfectly at ease about retiring as a rider, because he's really excited about joining Team Sky.

"It's a fantastic project and I think that they have given me the chance of a lifetime to become a part of it. I have a lot of ambitions about the sport and I'm looking forward to being a part of a team that is starting up and will bring something new and different in cycling. It's totally new for me to take on this role but I'm confident that I bring some experience and that I'll be working with great riders and fantastic colleagues at Team Sky.”

Team Sky will compete from the start of 2010, beginning with the Tour Down Under, and hopes to gain an invitation to next year’s Tour de France.

The initial squad of around 25 riders will be supported by a team of coaches, technicians and support staff drawn from across the cycling world, many of whom work throughout the year with British elite and developing riders.

To date, Team Sky has revealed 16 riders for the new team with more to be announced.

Six British riders - Geraint Thomas, Steve Cummings, Pete Kennaugh, Chris Froome, Ian Stannard and Russell Downing – line up with ten international riders; Edvald Boasson Hagen, Thomas Lovkvist, Kurt Arvesen, Simon Gerrans, Juan Antonio Flecha, Kjell Carlstrom, John Lee Augusty,  Lars Petter Nordhaug,  Morris Possoni and kiwi Greg Henderson.

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