Experienced directeur sportif Brian Holm is set to move from the folding HTC Highroad squad to Quick Step at the end of the season, with the Dane signing a two year contract to work with the Belgian team.
“I lived in Belgium for 13 years,” said Holm, confirming the move. “Belgium is like a second home for me. I know Patrick Lefevere very well and I was very impressed when we talked about the projects he has for the team.
“I have to say thanks for the trust he placed in me. I’m very proud to join the team and I’ll do my best to help the team reach the best possible results.”
Holm will oversee riders such as Tom Boonen, who was formerly regarded as the world’s top sprinter but who has faded in that respect in recent years. His experience of working alongside Mark Cavendish in recent seasons may boost hopes that he can help get Boonen’s career back on track, either as a sprinter or a Classics rider. The Belgian competitor has insisted that he can return to the top, despite two difficult seasons.
Holm’s signature may also prompt some speculation about Cavendish’s destination; the rider is widely presumed to be moving to Sky Procycling, although that has not been confirmed and he appeared to question that assumption at last weekend’s Olympic Test Event, which he won. He has finalised negotiations and has said that he will announce his new squad in a number of days.
Holm competed as a pro between 1986 and 1998. He raced with a number of teams, including Roland, Histor-Sigma, Tulip Computers, Telekom, Team Home Jack and Jones and Acceptcard Pro Cycling. He worked mainly for others, but took a number of victories including the 1991 Paris-Brussels and Paris-Camembert races. He won a stage of the Tour of Denmark in his final year as a pro.
After successfully battling cancer, Holm has built a second career as one of the best sporting directors in the sport. He has been part of the hugely successful HTC Highroad team in recent seasons, and told VeloNation in a video interview at the Tour de France that he hoped the squad would continue. Holm also spoke about working with Cavendish, and the rider's winning mentality.
With that squad winding up, he has now moved on to another big team and the start of what he will hope will be another run of big victories.
Quick Step team manager Patrick Lefevere believes he will be a important addition to his squad. “I’ve known Brian for a long time,” he said. “He always did a good job with all the teams he worked for. He is the type of person who is capable of motivating a group. Thanks to his knowledge he can contribute to the team’s improvement in the future.”