The Canyon-SRAM women's team announced that Rolf Aldag has taken over at Directeur Sportif after a stint with the Dimension Data men's team.

The 51-year-old German quit Dimension Data after a confrontation regarding Mark Cavendish's non-selection to the Tour de France.

Aldag, who was Dimension Data's performance director, described himself as a "rookie" as he began working with Canyon-SRAM this week at a training camp in Majorca.

Canyon-SRAM is one of eight teams applying to be in the top class of women's racing in 2020. They will have World Tour status along with Alée BTC Ljubljana, CCC-Liv, FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope, Mitchelton Scott, Movistar Team Women, Team Sunweb and Trek Segafredo.

"First of all, I would describe myself as a rookie in what I am about to do. I don't think it's wise to copy and paste what has worked in men's sports. So I'm going to talk to all the experienced team members and try to get the best information," Aldag said when news of his new position was announced.

"I wouldn't say I'm nervous about joining a new team, but rather excited about entering a new chapter in my working career. Especially since some of the work will be something I've never done before, and the fact that I'll be joining Canyon-SRAM's already existing and excellent practice structure gives me the confidence I need."

He first worked with Canyon-SRAM team owner and director Ronnie Lauke on the HTC High Road in 2008. Aldag worked with Quick Step and Dimension Data before teaming up again.

Aldag was a professional from 1990 to 2005, the last 13 of those seasons with Telecom/T-Mobile; in 2007, he was one of a number of former T-Mobile riders who admitted to using EPO during races in the 1990s, and T -Mobile withdrew from sponsoring the team after the 2007 season, sparking the decline of cycling in Germany.

"Ronnie and I never lost touch over the years. Ronnie is a man of conviction, so nothing much has changed over the years and I am happy to be working with him again," said Aldag

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"It is clear that the team is run in a very professional way. There was never a time in the race when anything was missing or went wrong. The team's consistent performance is due to well-prepared riders, excellent teamwork, and focus on details, but also because Ronnie has always brought in the best people. That goes for all the riders, staff, management, and technical partners. I look forward to being a part of this group and hope that my work will help the team achieve its goal of being as successful as possible."

Last week, Canyon-SRAM finalized its 16-rider roster for the 2020 season. In a statement, Lauke said the 2019 team boasts the youngest average age of any top-tier UCI women's team and has focused on building a team with talented and passionate riders with a mix of youth and experience.

Canyon-SRAM has already announced a string of returning riders, including Tiffany Cromwell and Hannah Barnes, who signed multi-year contracts the previous season. Last year's Zwift Academy winner Ella Harris is also returning. Joining them are returning teammates Alena Amialusik, Alice Burns, Elena Cecchini, Tanya Ellas, Mountain Bike World Champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, Rotem Gafinowicz, Lisa Klein, Hannah Ludwig, Kasia Nieviadoma, Krista Riffel, Alexis Ryan, and Omer Shapira will join them. The final riders will be announced after the finals of the Canyon-SRAM Zwift Academy at the team's training camp in Malaga, Spain.

"We are very happy to have Rolf join the team. With the sport becoming more structured, I think it's the best option," said Lauke.

"This sport is evolving rapidly and the level of professionalism is increasing. This sport is evolving rapidly and the level of professionalism is increasing. Hopefully, with the news of our team's status on the Women's World Tour, the demands on our team structure will be higher and we will need to focus more on the different areas of our team: sport, health, marketing, and administration."

"Rolf has been one of the architects of our most successful teams over the past decade and has proven that she can help talented riders reach the pinnacle of the sport. Rolf is a newcomer to the women's side of the sport, but we are confident that he will be an important part of our efforts to ensure further progress and stability. Ultimately, it's the same on the men's side of the sport as it is on the women's side; it's a group of people who want to win in motorcycle racing."