Rory Sutherland, who recently retired after competing this season for Israel's Startup-Nation, will take on a new part-time role as elite road coordinator for the Australian Cycling Team, AusCycling announced on Friday The announcement was made by AusCycling on Friday.

In September, the 38-year-old announced that he would retire this year, ending his career by completing the Vuelta a España in Madrid in early November.

"I am very proud to be joining the Australian Cycling Team as Elite Road Coordinator. And I look forward to working with you all as Australia continues to reach new heights in cycling."

Sutherland's new role will involve working closely with Australian professional road athletes, particularly those participating in the Australian Cycling Team's Individual Athlete Performance Support (IAPS) program.

Away from home, the focus of the Australian national team will be on the Tokyo Olympics, which have been postponed until next summer, the World Championships in Belgium in September, and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England in the summer of 2022.

Simon Jones, performance director of the Australian cycling team, said, "With 20 years of international experience, we believe Rory brings a great deal of knowledge and practical experience to the team.

"Rory's short-term focus will be to maximize our medal potential at Tokyo, and then to contribute to our long-term plan to maintain our road success at major events in the future.