Lidl-Trek can count on the services of Bernhard Eisel from the upcoming cycling season. The 44-year-old former rider will take on the role of directeur sportif at the American team. The Austrian has spent the past four seasons working in the team car for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe.
We primarily know Eisel for his lengthy cycling career: he was part of the professional peloton for nearly twenty years (from 2001 through 2019). In the early years of his career, he was regarded as a promising classics specialist (with a standout victory at Gent-Wevelgem), and later on, Eisel became crucial as a domestique, lead-out man (notably for Mark Cavendish), and road captain.
After retiring from professional racing, he worked for a time as an analyst for Eurosport, but fairly quickly returned to the peloton, this time as a directeur sportif. He spent the past seasons with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe but had to look for a new employer following a team restructuring. Lidl-Trek then seized the opportunity to bring the former pro on board.
Bernie Eisel won, among other races, Gent-Wevelgem as a rider - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
"I have always followed Lidl-Trek with interest because of their results in recent years and the fact that the team keeps progressing," Eisel said via his new team. "The team has attracted a lot of young talent and has an excellent sprint squad. In my time as a commentator, I enjoyed the sprint victories of Mads Pedersen and Jonathan Milan. These small details made the difference."
Working with familiar faces
Eisel will certainly not find himself in an unfamiliar environment. "I already have many friends in the team. People I have worked with before and riders I know from my time as a pro cyclist and later as a directeur sportif. So it was a no-brainer. The main reason for signing was to work again with Luca Guercilena (general manager, ed.). He was my first coach when I joined Mapei in 2001, so our connection goes way back."
"I must admit I’m a little nervous but also curious about this new chapter in my life. At the same time, I'm very motivated to continue this development and be part of the Lidl-Trek family. First, I want to understand how the team operates and get to know the people, to build a strong group together. That, I believe, is the key reason why Lidl-Trek is so successful."
