Schaffi in car at Milram

ByEurosport

Published 16/11/2005 at 14:30 GMT

Veteran T-Mobile rider Jan Schaffrath, initially set to accompany eight-year-long teammate Eric Zabel by joining the Milram squad as a rider, will instead become sport director for the new team. Milram manager Gerry can Gerwen offered 34-year-old 'Schaffi

Eurosport

Image credit: Eurosport

"It's a great offer," Schaffrath told the official team website. "At 34 years old, I could still perform at the top, but the end of the career was in sight."

In his eight years at T-Mobile he served as Zabel's lieutenant, protecting his old schoolmate from the wind and leading him into mass sprints.

Zabel said he would have like to have ridden longer with Schaffrath. "But I can picture him as a sport director," he said. "I won't have any problem when Jan is my boss in the future. We are and will remain friends."

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Until next season, all that Schaffrath has to do is to learn English. "With a team of 15 Italians, 10 Germans and five riders from other nations, English will be the team language. I want to prepared for that," said the new sport director.

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