A ''directeur sportif'' (
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
for
sporting director, although the original French term is often used in English-language media; plural ''directeurs sportifs'') is a person directing a
cycling team during a
road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most common ...
event. It is seen as the equivalent to a field manager in baseball, or a head coach in football. At professional level, a directeur sportif follows the team in a car and communicates with riders, personnel and race officials by
radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transm ...
.
The directeur sportif warns of obstacles or challenging terrain, updates the team on the situation in the race, and provides mechanical help. The car carrying the directeur sportif also usually carries a
bicycle mechanic with spare
bikes,
wheels and parts. It also carries spare water bottles, food and medical equipment.
Since the late 1990s, the role has increased, in keeping with better team cohesion, tactics and
communication
Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inqu ...
and
telemetry equipment. The directeur sportif can have split times, find where riders from other teams are in the race, and dictate orders to riders. This has made teamwork and tactics more important.
A directeur sportif can also be involved in the riders' training and racing programme. Many are former professionals, such as
Johan Bruyneel and
Sean Yates.
Gord Fraser Gordon Fraser may refer to:
*Gord Fraser (cyclist) (born 1968), Canadian road bicycle racer
*Gord Fraser (ice hockey) (1902–1966), Canadian professional hockey player
*Gordon Fraser (publisher) (1911–1981), British publisher
*Gordon Fraser (act ...
described his role as directeur sportif as follows:
Several directeurs sportifs are also associated with famous riders whom they have nurtured.
Patrick Lefevère with
Johan Museeuw and
Tom Boonen,
Cyrille Guimard's relationship with
Lucien Van Impe,
Bernard Hinault, and later
Laurent Fignon as well as a young
Greg LeMond prior to his Tour victories;
Jean de Gribaldy with
Sean Kelly and
Joaquim Agostinho; and Bruyneel with
Lance Armstrong
Lance Edward Armstrong ('' né'' Gunderson; born September 18, 1971) is an American former professional road racing cyclist. Regarded as a sports icon for winning the Tour de France seven consecutive times from 1999 to 2005 after recovering ...
are examples. Others include Guillaume “Lomme” Driessens who was a Directeur for
Eddy Merckx and
Roger Legeay who directed LeMond during his win in the
1990 Tour de France.
References
External links
Complete French site about Jean de Gribaldy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Directeur Sportif
Road bicycle racing terminology
Management occupations