Saxo Bank’s Bobby Julich believes that the team is in a stronger position than ever to attract new sponsors after main sponsor Saxo Bank confirmed they would be pulling the plug on the team at the end of the current season.

Julich rode for the team for five years during its incarnation as CSC. He is about to begin his second year as part of the squad’s back room staff, as a rider development manager.

“From the very first day I signed on this team I had to either battle for my contract or battle for a sponsor right until the last minute. With Saxo Bank pulling out we’re more prepared than ever to deal with it. We went through the biggest issue last year when IT Factory was forced to pull out. We were forced to continue with the team at the highest level but with a lower budget. We really pulled together and fought together. I know we’re more prepared than ever,” Julich told Cyclingnews.

With the team losing some of it’s previous management staff to Team Sky in the last few months, Julich has also found himself with more responsibility, liaising more with current sponsors, while also being the go-to-guy for the riders, many of whom he used to ride with professionally.

“The role is everything I did last year and then also inheriting sponsor accounts, trying to reconnect with them and get the most out of that. It’s turned out to be very fruitful so far and we’re working together really well. We want to be an open and friendly team. Make it more fun and no barriers. I’m trying to help with that.”

Read the full story at CyclingNews.com

Latest edition of the Bobby Julich Chronicles is now on CyclingNews.com:

I hope that you have enjoyed your time off because it is time to get back to work! That was the mantra I used to tell myself at this part of the season and during my career it would usually coincide with a team training camp.

Each team’s camp is different depending on the level of organisation and the team’s aims for the upcoming season. I was at Motorola, Cofidis, Crédit Agricole and Telekom during my career and feel that they were all similar. There were meetings and nights at the bar bonding with teammates, but I never felt like I got anything spectacular out of them. I felt it was more of a chance for the directors to check up on us and make sure no one was too much out of shape or had been piling on the pounds. Oberall, I didn’t look forward to them and couldn’t wait to get them over with, but that all changed when I signed with Bjarne Riis at CSC.

Read full article at CyclingNews.com

Team CSC-Saxo Bank Press Release

The 36-year old American rider who has been with Team CSC since 2004 is now retiring and looking ahead to a possible future within the sport.

“I have had a long career as a professional cyclist and it has been an honor to be part of a team like Team CSC Saxo Bank for the last five years. I remember the day after meeting my team and team mates for the first time, making a phone call to my wife telling her that this is the team that I have been searching for my whole career and where I would end my career. Years later, that turned out to be quite a prophetic statement because now is time to make that decision and move on to the next phase of my life”, says Bobby Julich who saw a new part of his career unfold when he came to the team in 2004.

With an Olympic Bronze Medal in 2004, a strong winning streak in 2005 (including Paris-Nice, Criterium International, Eneco Tour), Julich completely revitalized the latter part of his professional career that previously had shown a podium finish in the Tour and consistent results in the biggest races on the calendar.

”Being on such a great team for so long, I know what it takes to be at the top level of this sport and realize that mentally I am not able to make the sacrifices that it takes to be there anymore.
I have seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows during my career, but every moment has taught me many things and made me into the person that I am today.

I hope to stay connected to the world of cycling because it has been my life and passion for 25 years, but I am also keeping my options open. To continue to work for Bjarne and the team in some way would be great and I would love it if that opportunity presented itself. The hardest part of leaving the crazy world of professional cycling will be having less contact with my team mates. The friendships that I have created here are hopefully life long, but I will miss the fun that we have together on the road. I would like to use this opportunity to say thanks to CSC, Saxo Bank and all my past sponsors for showing a kid from a small mountain town in Colorado the world, its people and the wonderful world of cycling. Thanks also to all the fans and my supporters who have cheered me along all these years and hope to see you out on the weekend rides or bike paths”, Julich continues.

Team owner Bjarne Riis echoes Julich’s words, empathizing that he is keen to offer Julich an important position in the team after his career as a rider.

“Bobby has been one of the true cornerstones of the team from the day he joined us. A great athlete, a profound and intelligent guy and the perfect team mate. We have been extremely proud of and very happy about being part of the second life of Bobby’s career took on when he came to the team. He has been more than just a classy rider producing great results, but also a real mentor and a solid role model for our younger riders”, says Bjarne Riis.

“When Bobby and I talked about his future, I realized that the best thing I could do for him was to give him the time and liberty to consider and figure out what he wanted to do after stepping off the bike – instead of forcing him to race a full programme for the rest of the season. I have the utmost respect for Bobby as a rider and as a person, and I would be honoured if he would consider being part of the team in another role in the future”, Riis adds.

Bobby finished 56th overall in the Tour of Luxembourg and his next race will be the Tour de Suisse starting on June 14th

Bobby has had a change in his race schedule. He was originally scheduled to race in the U.S. in June at the Commerce Bank Triple Crown, but he is back in Nice, France and will start the Tour of Luxembourg on June 4th.

Visit the Two Johns Podcast Blog to listen to the interview.

Starting January 8 to January 18, Team CSC will be holding their preseason training camp in Spain. They will be holding a camp in California ahead of the Tour of California. Team CSC has also announced the 2008 jersey design which have a lot more white in them than the mostly red kits of 2007. Team CSC will also be switch handlebars to 3T. The new 3T time trial bars look pretty fast.