Alessandro De marchi Transitions to Sports Director Role with Jayco-AlUla
VENETO, ITALY – Recently retired professional cyclist Alessandro De Marchi will immediately transition to a sports director role with Jayco-AlUla, teh team announced today. The move marks the end of a 15-year career in the professional peloton for the Italian rider and a new beginning on “the other side” of the sport.
De marchi concluded his racing career with finishes of 90th in the Giro Del Veneto and 89th in the Veneto Classic, both held on home roads in Italy’s Friuli region. His retirement was initially announced in a team video released in mid-August,following a career marked by aggressive racing and a reputation for intelligence within the bunch.
“During his time in the peloton, Alessandro developed a reputation as an clever rider, and he is well respected within the bunch,” saeid Jayco-AlUla’s Sporting manager, Gene Bates. “The transition from rider to staff member can be a challenging one,but one we believe he will flourish in,and GreenEDGE cycling will be a very good place for him to learn.”
De Marchi had previously expressed his desire to remain within cycling after retirement. “Obviously, I’m thinking about what to do once I get off my bike, and the main idea is to stay in cycling. More specifically, I would like to move to ‘the other side’ and get into the team car,” he stated in an interview weeks before formally announcing his retirement.
Prior to his proclamation, De Marchi openly criticised the increasing aggression within the modern peloton, stating, “I won’t miss much about the peloton I’ve been hanging out with lately. It has changed too much, and there are many dynamics that I no longer like. There is too much aggression.”
Reflecting on his decision to retire, De Marchi shared a quote from a book: “Sometimes change is not suffered, it is desired. It is a push that comes from within, that wants to be recognised, and above all to be listened to.”
