MOSCOW (AP) — Three-time Olympic champion Viatcheslav Ekimov, a longtime teammate of Lance Armstrong, is the new general manager of the Russian cycling team Katusha.
The team says Ekimov will replace Hans-Michael Holzer of Germany.
Ekimov rode with the U.S. Postal Service team in 1997-98, before Armstrong won his first Tour de France. He returned in 2000 and rode in some of Armstrong’s subsequent Tour victories through 2005.
Ekimov won Olympic titles in track team pursuit in 1988 and the road time trial in 2000.
He was awarded his third title in August when the IOC stripped former teammate Tyler Hamilton of the 2004 time-trial gold for doping.
Hamilton’s accusations of widespread doping on U.S. Postal teams helped prompt the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to ban Armstrong for life and strip his seven Tour titles.
