Jeroen Blijlevens will become the sprint coach for the Dutch Rabobank squad in 2012. With Oscar Freire gone from the team, the remaining riders such as Michael Matthews (right) need to step up in in some sprints. Rabobank hopes that Blijlevens, experienced in winning sprints, can help them to do just that.
For Blijlevens, the new job is necessary for the professional teams now. "Everything is becoming more professional," he told bndestem.nl. "Details are becoming more and more important." He wants to create a working environment where everyone has their share of input. "You have to make sure that inside the Rabobank organization everyone is thinking about what they can provide," Blijlevens said.
With his vast experience as a racer and also as a commentator for the women's races, he sees the job as a logical step up in his career. "Why shouldn't I share my knowledge with the other teams?"
As a former sprinter he thinks it will be easier to get into the riders' heads. "Sprinters have the custom to talk with people who know what it means to sprint. Sprinting has a feeling that you need to know." It may make his job easier. "Sprinters are more likely to take advice from someone who had been in the situation before."
The team was also interested in Erik Zabel, who was formerly the coach for Mark Cavendish at the HTC Highroad team. Rabobank now chose for the 39-year-old Blijlevens.
He had been a professional from 1994 to 2004 and won stages in all three Grand Tours. In the Tour de France, he took a stage every year from 1995 to 1998. At the 1999 Giro d'Italia, he took stage three and seven. He also has four stage wins at the Vuelta a España.
The Tour of Bavaria is his most successful race, where he won six stages. In 1996 he took the prologue and stages 1, 2, 3b, and 5. He also won a stage in 1997. Other stage wins came in the Circuit de la Sarthe, the Vuelta a Murcia and the Tour de Romandie.
Blijlevens rode for TVM from 1994 to 1999, then switched to Polti in 2000. He was with Lotto-Adecco in 2001, with Domo-Farm Frites in 2002 and ended his career with two years at BankGiroLoterij.