by Justin Davis

VARESE, Italy, Sept 25, 2008 (AFP) – Australian Brad McGee has confirmed he will retire as a professional cyclist next week ahead of becoming a fledgling team manager with the CSC-Saxo Bank outfit.

A former stage winner on the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Tour of Spain who built his reputation helping Australia to track glory at world and Olympic level, McGee has been hampered with injury problems in recent years.

He joined the CSC team, considered one of the strongest in the peloton, at the beginning of the season from Francaise des Jeux having spent the previous two years battling a problematic sciatic nerve problem.

However a crash on the third stage of the Giro d’Italia in June sidelined the Sydney native once more.

Despite disappointing performances in both the individual and team pursuit events at the Olympic Games in Beijing, McGee was still due to race with CSC on the road.

But after CSC owner Bjarne Riis called him with an offer to work off the bike instead of on it, McGee said he jumped at the chance.

“It kind of came from left field, it was a surprise, but an opportunity like this doesn’t come around very often, especially with the number one team in the world,” McGee told Bicycle.net at the world road race cycling championships Thursday.

“Everyone knows that I’ve had a hard time on the bike in the last few years and … doing a job like this has been in the back of my mind all along.

“There’s only one team I would do it with and when Bjarne called me I thought about it for a few days and then my mind was made up.

“The important thing is, it feels right.”

At only 32 years old, and with the likes of Lance Armstrong and several other veteran pros eyeing comebacks to the sport, McGee is bucking the trend.

But he admits the last few years had taken a mental, as well as physical toll on himself and his family.

“For sure it’s a big shock for many people that I’m stopping as a cyclist,”
added the Monaco-based Australian.

“But I think everyone can relax a little bit now. It’s been a hard few years but now we can look forward to the end of the turmoil.”

McGee effectively steps into a role that was left vacant by compatriot Scott Sunderland, who left CSC after being offered a position with Team Cervelo.