Team Sungard-Saxo Bank has grabbed more headlines recently thanks to the exodus of riders and the Contador controversy. Only now Bjarne Riis has made a signing designed to change this: 35-year-old journalist Anders Damgaard.
Damgaard (pictured left) will work as the team’s new press officer from January. He’s worked with Berlingske Tidende and sporten.dk, where BT has been notoriously critical of Riis although it’s fair to say large sections of the Danish media routinely express scepticism about Riis.
The role of team PR staffer can vary. On some teams it’s a part time job but in the past Riis has given plenty of responsibility to Bryan Nygaard to ensure the right message gets out. After all, a pro cycling team needs to carry the image and values of its sponsors.
Nygaard of course is taking this a step further, acting as the manager of the new Luxembourg team.
This guy is going to be busy!
He can not be busy, team can struggle for 2011.
Who is the other guy in the photo?
Anonymous I and II: certainly there's some explaining to do. Imagine if Contador got a three month ban? Plus there is work over the sponsors and the future of the team. All before any rider even clips into a pedal.
Anonymous III: another journalist but unrelated to pro cycling, this was the only photo of Damgaard I could find.