André Greipel takes over as German national team coach

The German Cycling Federation (BDR) announced that 11-time Tour de France stage winner André Greipel will take over as their national team coach and sports director.

The 40-year-old takes over from Jens Zemke who became too busy with his regular job as sports director for the Bora-Hansgrohe men's WorldTour team.

"When I was asked, I first asked for time to think before I accepted. This is completely new for me, a great challenge," Greipel said in a BDR press release. "I'm really looking forward to working with the athletes and want to get the best out of them. The current generation is strong. To form a team with them and pursue a common goal and implement it successfully, that will be an exciting task."

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Greipel will work closely with his former HTC teammate Marcus Burghardt, the federation's vice president for professional sports, and lead the team at the UCI World Championships and European championships. He will also help select teams along with Burghardt and Patrick Moster, who is still the federation's sports director despite being sent home from the Tokyo Olympic Games for racist comments.

"This was the best solution we could find. André not only brings an insane amount of experience to the table, he is also not tied to any team and can therefore act freely and neutrally," Burghardt said.

"With André Greipel, we have been able to recruit one of the most successful German cyclists for this position. Both Marcus Burghardt and André Greipel know the structures of the federation very well. They have always been closely associated with the federation from their time as junior riders to their successful professional careers. With both of them, we will be able to follow successful paths."

Greipel retired from his successful career in the pro peloton in 2021, having amassed 158 professional victories including stage wins in all three Grand Tours - 11 in the Tour de France, seven in the Giro d'Italia and four in the Vuelta a España along with two overall victories in the Tour Down Under.