Former BMC Racing Team rider Jackson Stewart will return to the team for the 2013 as an assistant director, President/General Manager Jim Ochowicz announced Wednesday.
Bright Future
Stewart raced for the BMC Racing Team from 2007 to 2010 during his nine-year professional career. He has been managing the USA Cycling women’s national development program since his retirement. “We’re excited to have Jackson coming back to the family,” Ochowicz said. “We think that he will be an asset to the team and somebody who will grow into the future with the organization.” Ochowicz said Stewart will work closely with BMC Racing Team Directeur Sportif John Lelangue as a second director at many one-week stage races, serve as lead director at some one-day races in Europe, and prepare for, organize and help direct the team in races in North America.
American Director
Lelangue said the Santa Clara, Calif., native is well-organized and has a good vision of the future. “A few years ago at the worlds in Melbourne, I was already thinking he would make a good sport director,” Lelangue said. “The experience he has gained through USA Cycling has been good on both the organizational side, from the race point of view, and in managing the riders. And if you look, he had good results where he was managing them. I’m really proud to have him as one of my four assistants. It’s also good to have an American director on board as we’re an American team.”
Exciting Opportunity
Stewart joins the BMC Racing Team coming off a season that saw the U.S. women earn a silver medal at the world championships in the time trial, a fourth place in the road race and put a rider in a late breakaway at the Olympic road race, only to have a flat tire dash any chance for a medal. “I was starting to become somewhat attached to the women’s side of cycling and wanted to invest in it, but for career reasons, this was an easy decision,” he said. “It’s a dream to be part of one of the biggest teams in the world.”
