After departure of Boom and Van der Breggen, SD Worx-Protime takes leap of faith: Italian debuts as sports director

This is an unusual move by SD Worx-Protime. With Anna van der Breggen and Lars Boom, the team lost two sports directors and had an urgent task to find replacements. The Dutch team has announced a new sports director, but the name is unknown to most. Gian Paolo Mondini takes over, and he will make his debut as sports director.

The 52-year-old Italian worked at Specialized as a contact for riders and teams. So SD Worx-Protime was familiar with the former rider for a long time. "After the departure of Anna van der Breggen and Lars Boom in the team management, we were looking for a new personality with a lot of experience in his luggage," team manager Danny Stam said in a press release. "I sensed from Gian Paolo that he was looking for something new. Erwin and I offered him this job, and, to our great surprise, he was immediately extremely enthusiastic and saw this as a great challenge. I am happy that we were able to bring in a person with so much know-how."

Mondini sees that he can bring something new to the team of world champion Lotte Kopecky, among others. "My different backgrounds merge nicely in this new role. I am good at motivating people and will provide the riders with additional guidance on material. As a rider, your bike is your most important tool." The Italian was a professional cyclist and even won a Tour de France stage in 1999. "I was a professional cyclist for eight years and never stopped cycling completely. That not only comes in handy on a tactical and strategic level, but I am physically able to scout the races together with the riders and immediately give tips and tricks."

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Psychologist Mondini: "Cycling is also about mental strength"

Outside of cycling, the new team leader is very clever: he obtained a doctorate in psychology after his cycling career. "I wanted to learn how the mental part of the body works. I can now apply that knowledge as a sports director. Cycling is not only about performing physically but also about being mentally strong. I want to help the riders be well-prepared by assisting them in visualizing all possible scenarios. If something unexpected happens, don't panic because you will lose precious time. I can help in that." Being a team leader is an entirely new experience, though. "Of course, I also have a lot to learn. I have never sat in a sports director's car before. But within Team SD Worx-Protime, I am surrounded by people who are experts. After one conversation with team manager Erwin Janssen and sports manager Danny Stam, I was convinced: this is my dream job."