Team dsm-firmenich are delighted to have Asbjørn Kragh Andersen return to the team in a coaching capacity for the 2024 season. A former professional rider, the Dane spent four years with the team, before hanging up his wheels at the end of 2022. As a rider Kragh Andersen showed a lot of tactical nous and ability to bring a group together, focusing on the details, and that is something he aims to take with him going into his career as a coach.
Kragh Andersen expressed: “I had the opportunity to join the coaching team for 2023 but I decided to take a short break from the sport, but I stayed in close contact with the team. Through the year myself and Rudi had some good conversations about plans for the future and how my role in the team would look. It’s a good feeling to know that he and the rest of the team see my personal qualities and what my time on the bike can bring off the bike. Being a coach is different than being a rider as you must see things from a different perspective. It’s a big challenge but a nice one, and I’ve immediately had a lot of support from the rest of the coaches who are open to helping me, making me feel really welcome in the group. I’m looking forward to getting involved where I’ll be working mostly with the Development program but also working with the Men’s program too.”
Team dsm-firmenich head coach Rudi Kemna expressed: “During Asbjørn’s time in the team we saw a lot of potential in him as a coach for the future and already had good conversations in that direction in 2022. We kept in contact after his retirement and are happy that those talks have come together now as we welcome him back to the team for next year. As a rider he was someone that could read the races well and had good qualities as a captain, and we think that will transfer into his role as a coach. Of course, he is only starting out in the role, but he has a lot of drive to get better and improve himself and those around him, and with the environment we have here and great group of coaches alongside him, we think he can do just that.”
Continuing about the coaching structure in general Kemna added: “With Asbjørn returning, we’re happy to confirm that our coaching line-up for the 2024 season is complete. We have a good core group of coaches that have been together for some time and the new guys that have come on board this year have fitted in seamlessly, bringing their own attributes and qualities. I believe each of the coaches brings the rest of the of the group to a higher level and all our qualities complement each other. We’ll continue to function together in our current structure across our three programs, focusing on different riders’ specialisms, as we look to make the next steps as a team.”
The team’s coaching line-up is as follows:
Asbjørn Kragh Andersen
Roy Curvers
Kelvin Dekker
Callum Ferguson
Christian Guiberteau
Rudi Kemna
Bennie Lambregts
Pim Ligthart
Joey van Rhee
Luke Roberts
Albert Timmer
Phil West
Matt Winston