After getting an assignment from my editor, I called a cab and went straight to my room to start packing my bags. He decided to send me on a trip to follow one procontinental cycling team. My editor believes that first hand stories from training camps and races will be very popular among readers. He might be right. So, I am heading to Johannesburg to meet a team manager, join the team and to start my campaign. I should spend on and off a year with a team following their work, go to the races with them, make interviews and try to bring closer African cycling project MTN-Qhubeka to the rest of the cycling world.
After the plane landed, I got out and immediately started to look around for the board with my name. One guy was holding it and when I looked at him I recognized the face of MTN-Qhubeka’s team manager Douglas Ryder.
I was happy to see him because it meant that we can go to hotel to take a shower, grab something to eat, and finally to meet guys who I am supposed to follow for the whole season.
While we were driving I was amazed by the city, nature and neighborhood which were passed by. Combination of poverty and richness, black and white people, modern and tradition are something that makes first impression really unique.
Mr. Ryder was telling me about hotel where I’ll be staying, but I didn’t pay so much attention to him. I was looking through the side window outside. Finally, we were in front of the hotel and hungry I was dreaming about roasted chicken. Meeting the riders will have to wait.
After getting rested, I came down to the lounge, where I met the guys. There were only eight man sitting, chatting and waiting to meet new reporter who will probably ask them some inappropriate questions on which they don’t want to answer. While Mr. Ryder and I were approaching, I asked him where the rest of the team was. He told me that they were in training camp, some of them preparing for African race La Tropicale Amissa Bongo, while the others were preparing for start of their season. He also mentioned that these eight riders, with rest of stuff members and of course me, flying to China the next day to the race Tour of Taihu Lake. He also claimed that this opening race of the season was very important for MTN-Qhubeka because our sponsor’s marketing strategy which they have towards Chinese market. So we were taking strong squad to Chine with intentions to earn some stage victories and maybe have some rider high in general classification.
Then he presented me guys who will travel to Chine, first of whom was, you may already know, Gerald Ciolek, probably the reason why I was told to follow this team. Last season was very impressive for him. Winning Milano-San Remo race was dream comes true for him, but it wasn’t all he did. He won stages on Tour of Britain, Int. Österreich-Rundfahrt-Tour of Austria, Bayern-Rundfahrt and in Belgium on Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen race. In career he has won four stages on Vuelta, also four stages on Tour of Germany in 2008 and 2009. Impressive biography, but even more impressive personality when you meet him in person. True leader on a road, I told to myself. I am very interested why he has chosen African team for his team, but there will be time to ask him that.
Gerald Ciolek
After meeting Gerald Ciolek, Mr. Ryder presented me riders who will take care of Ciolek to get to the finish line with good legs and evenly important on good position in the peloton. First of all there was his lead-out man Italian Kristian Sbaragli, an excellent sprinter with great power in his legs. This is his second professional season and second in this team. Last year he had two victories, both on Tour de Korea, first on first stage and second with his team mates on TTT. Also he had many top ten results which recommend him as great rider with great potential. This was the reason why Mr. Ryder has put him as Ciolek’s lead-out man.
Kristian Sbaragli
Very important man in MTN-Qhubeka’s sprint train is Andreas Stauff, also German as well as Ciolek, with whom he has great relationship which makes this team even better. Following the similar path through professional cycling as Ciolek he accepted offer from MTN-Qhubeka to be a team member for Gerald. As the best result in his career is fourth place on one stage of Vuelta.
Andreas Stauff
With Martin Reimer these make great German trio which functions like a clock on the road. This was Reimer’s second year in African team so he was well adapted to this environment and everybody expect even better results this season.
Martin Reimer
Presence of South African champion Jay Robert Thomson is great boost of positive energy in this team. Beside winning national road championship, and being second on national ITT championship, he also won stage on Tour of Rwanda last year. In his career he has won stages on Tour of Langkawi and Volta a Portugal em Bicicleta in 2012. Extremely motivated he want to become even better in this 2014.
Jay Robert Thomson
The best climbers among these riders who are going to Chine is definitely Meron Russom Alem from Eritrea who was in 2012 second in GC on La Tropicale Amissa Bongo race and second in Tour of Libya in 2010. He was also second on ITT National Championship of Eritrea last year.
Meron Russom Alem
Bradley Potgieter, who has been in this team since he was found in 2008, is a perfect team mate who is always willing to sacrifice for the team and because of that he is awarded with contract till 2015.
Bradley Potgieter
Youcef Reguigui was last but not the least man I met. Twenty four-year old Algerian is part of MTN-Qhubeka since 2013. Last year he was second in GC on Sharjah International Cycling Tour winning one stage. Absolutely incredible performance for young Algerian. He is someone who has to be watched and followed. Also, he won stages on Tour d’Algerie and Tour du Faso in 2011 which recommended him to become a part of MTN-Qhubeka.
Youcef Reguigui
After meeting them all I realized why this team is so popular in the world. These riders share the same passion for cycling, and not only for this sport, but for life itself. They are more than colleagues on the road, they are friends.
Flight between Johannesburg and China lasts almost 15 hours so I’ll have time to meet the guys and stuff even better, and maybe to do some interview. First I spoke with Mr. Ryder about team’s schedule for the first part of the season and, of course, about goals, sponsor's and his personal's. This is a full schedule for first three months:
January
Tour of Taihu Lake – 2.1 La Tropicale Amissa Bongo – 2.1
February
Tour of Qatar - 2.HC Trofeo Migjorn – 1.1 Tour of Oman – 2.HC Volta ao Algarve – 2.1 Mzasi Tour – 2.2 Le tour de Langkawi - 2.HC Classic Sud Ardeche – Souvenir Francis Delpech – 1.1 National Championship of South Africa (ITT)
March National Championship of South Africa (Road) Classic Loire Atlantique – 1.1 Milano-San Remo - WT Tour de Taiwan – 2.1 Dwars door Vlaanderen – 1.HC Criterium International – 2.HC Gent-Wevelgem - WT
Then he told me that their sponsor have high hopes for this part of the season.
Their desire is:
Stage win at Tour of Taihu Lake
Overall win at Tour of Qatar
Stage wins at Tour of Oman
Top 5 at Volta ao Algarve
Top 3 Mzasi Tour
Top 5 at National Championship (ITT)
Win at National Championship (Road)
Top 10 Dwars door Vlaanderen
1st in Climber Ranking at Criterium International
Pretty high hopes and goals but I believe that most of them are achievable. After that, Mr. Ryder told me that his goals are more realistic. In confidence he explained that win at Tour of Qatar is almost mission impossible, and top 5 at Volta ao Algarve. Stage wins are maximum for his team at these races. Also he has high hopes that Ciolek can manage to top 10 at Milano-San Remo, maybe if he could have some luck top ten result at Gent-Wevelgem, if they get wild card, which is very probable.
From my perspective, this early part of season is what all are focused on. Nine goal races in first three months will push guys to their limits. They need to be aggressive and to exploit other team’s unreadiness. It will be interesting to follow them.
If you continue with april join Tour of Turkey
Good luck with that!
#FREELANDA #FREELIA MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
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Daily Song Contest WINNER! With Foals - Mountain at my Gates with Greece! 1 like 1 girlfriend ''I call you the stage god. You are the stage god.'' -baseballover312, 15.07.2016
After getting the full schedule for first part of the season I realized that Gerald is going to be very busy so I decided to make short interview with him. He deserves that first interview be with him.
ME: ‘Hi Gerald, do you have time to answer to couple of questions? I would like that the first interview be with you, if you don’t mind?’
GC: ‘No problem, I hope you won’t make any rude questions.’
Me: ‘Oh no, I not writing for tabloids. Our readers are not interested in that kind of stuff.’ I laughed. ‘Ok then, let’s start. How do you feel after so many months without races? Do you miss them?
GC: ‘Oh yes, I miss racing. I miss to be in the peloton with other guys, to push through pain together. It’s unique feeling that I couldn’t describe.’
Me: ‘How do you spend time when you are not at races or in a training camp?’
GC: ‘I train, no vacation for me, but I have more time for my family, to spend more time with them, you know how it is.’
Me: ‘Yes I know. You are coming from very intensive preparations for the start of the season, so how do you feel?’
GC: ‘I feel excellent. I feel I am ready for the season. Trainings in the camp were hard and intensive and I believe I am fully prepared for what’s coming in the next few months.’
Me: ‘I hope so because I want to write about victories.’ I laughed again. ‘I saw your schedule for the first part of the season and it is going to be very hard with many racing days and many goals. Do you feel nervous about that many results and team’s goals depend on your performance?’
GC: ‘When you are leading sprinter in the team, it’s a normal situation that team expects victories. That’s why you are getting paycheck every month. I can live with that.’
Me: ‘Are you confident that your lead out guys are fully capable to bring you at best position in the peloton and get you in position to win stages?’
GC: ‘Yes, I am. We worked hard and we will show how strong we are.’
Me: ‘I am glad that you are so confident.’
GC: ‘Yes I am because I saw what they are capable of. I believe in them as much as they believe in me.’
Me: ‘Thank you very much for this interview. I wish you best of luck and hope to make another one after first victory.’
GC: ‘I hope it’ll be soon then. Thank you very much.’
After more than two months without cycling welcome to China and welcome to the start of cycling 2014. This is the first race in the calendar and so many riders are extremely nervous. Many of them are building up their form, and many of them are just checking their legs.
With many Pro Tour Teams participating in Tour of Taihu Lake, this race became very prestige one at the beginning of the season. Cannondale, Trek, OmegaPharma - Quick Step Cycling Team, Movistar, Giant-Shimano, Katusha, Lotto Belisol, FDJ are all here trying to compete with numerous Asian teams whom is this one of the most important race in the season and we should expect numerous attacks from them. It is going to be very interesting eight stages.
Flat stages, designed for sprinters, could offer us joy of speed. With all eight flat stages, teams get opportunity to try their sprint trains in race conditions. Also, opportunities for bold riders to try their legs are numerous.
Tour of Taihu Lake – 2.1
La Tropicale Amissa Bongo – 2.1
Tour of Qatar - 2.HC
Trofeo Migjorn – 1.1
Tour of Oman – 2.HC
Volta ao Algarve – 2.1
Mzasi Tour – 2.2
Le tour de Langkawi - 2.HC
Classic Sud Ardeche – Souvenir Francis Delpech – 1.1
Milano-San Remo - WT
Tour de Taiwan – 2.1
Dwars door Vlaanderen – 1.HC
