Roberto Ferrari: "I have had a great time with this team, but I'm also happy to compete against the strongest riders in the entire season. I'm hoping for a lot of opportunities in BMC."

Jos� Serpa:
Adam Blythe :
Jos� Rujano:
Pierrick F�drigo:
Wout Poels:
Nikolay Zhurkin:
Vladimir Efimkin:

Promotion is not one of the season goals

Reporter: We are here to ask the manager of Androni Giocattoli - Venezuela about one of the latest rumours in the cycling world. Sir, is it true that Androni is not trying to achieve WT status next year?

Manager: Yes, I can definitely confirm the rumours.

Reporter: But why is that? Most teams would beg for an opportunity like this, why are you even considering such a move?

Manager: First of all, there is an entire season ahead of us. It's very much possible, that we won't even get offered a WT place. If we do, we will definitely think about it. But what we are saying is that we would be more than happy to stay is PCT for at least one more year.

Reporter: What is the reasoning behind this?

Manager: Well, it's my first year with this team. I would like to establish a squad, that can compete on the highest levels of cycling. Doing this is probably not possible in one transfer season.

Reporter: Are you saying that your team is weak?

Manager: No, why would I ever say something like that?! My point is, that we are probably not ready to compete against the WT teams. Our squad is among the strongests in the CT league, so our first goal is to do well in this season.

Reporter: Alright, I understand this. What are your goals for the first race of the season, the Tour de San Luis?

Manager: Well, we are bringing a fairly strong squad, so we are hoping to have a good start for the season.

Reporter: Do you have any definite goals?

Manager: Well, it's my first race with the team, so I can't give the guys very high goals. I told them to do their best, and let's see what happens.

Reporter: Come on, you gotta have some goals in your mind! I won't let you go until you tell us!

Manager: Oh god, how much I hate reporters... Alright, there it goes: We are hoping for a top 10 in GC, and top 5 in one of the stages. We are also hoping to see our colours in a breakaway.

Reporter: Alright, thank you very much for the interview!

Manager: Yeah, thanks... *to himself: Oh god, how much I hate reporters...*

Reporter: I assume you follow the first WT race of the season, the Santos Tour Down Under very closely. Does it feel good to see one of your ex-riders ending up in Top 10?

Manager: Well, obviously it does. Ferrari had been a valuable member of our squad for two years, so we will always follow his results. It is nice to see how well he competes against riders like Farrar or Goss, even though this is his first WT race. We are really proud of him.

Reporter: What do you expect from stage two?

Manager: It is an uphill finish, so it is suited for a sprinter who is also quite good on hills. My favourite of the day would probably be Edvald Boasson Hagen.

Reporter: Well, we will find out very soon. When we talk again, we will see how accurate your prediction was!

Manager: Yeah, best of luck for the guys Down Under.

Reporter: Thanks for the talk.

Manager: It was a pleasure. *to himself: as far as talking to reporters can be a pleasure...*

Reporter: Welcome again, sir! Well, your guess wasn't that off, EBH took third place on stage two and Goss took an amazing sprint victory on stage three. What do you think?

Manager: Yeah, Edvald did fine on stage two, but Gilbert was the strongest that day. Goss is just showing incredible form in his home country.

Reporter: We are nearing stage five, which will probably decide the GC: The Old Willunga Hill stage. What are your thoughts?

Manager: It will be very hard for Goss to keep the Leader's Jersey, since we have some amazing puncheurs in the peloton. EBH and Gilbert are top favourites for the GC, but Gasparotto and Gerrans are also really strong. I would be surprised if we saw Goss in the Orange Jersey on stage six.

Reporter: We finally saw Roberto Ferrari in the top 5. How does it affect your team to see one of your ex-riders doing really well in the WT?

Manager: Well, it does not affect us at all in a direct way. Obviously we are proud of him, I called him when I saw the result and he seemed so happy, you can't even imagine. It's his best result on that level.

Reporter: Thank you for this short interview. We will meet again after the last stage of the Santos Tour Down Under.

Manager: Thanks. Always a pleasure... *sigh*

Reporter: Welcome again, sir! We are here after the Willunga Hill stage, where Gilbert took a very confident victory, and he is almost sure to win the GC, since the last stage is for sprinters. Any thoughts?

Manager: Hello again. Yeah, I'm positive, that Gilbert can't lose his lead at the last stage. We have the 2012 winner of the Santos Tour Down Under.

Reporter: Closely after the last stage of the TDU, the Tour de San Luis will begin. Are you excited?

Manager: Of course, the entire team is very excited. We are looking forward to our first race of the season, and the first race with me as a manager.

Reporter: Do you put a lot of pressure on your San Luis Squad? It could be totally understandable, since a flying start could really get you some attention.

Manager: No, of course not, that would be just bad psychology. I want them to do their best, give it all, and I want them to have a good feeling after the race.

Reporter: Alright. We also have some other news to talk about. Some informations about the CT GT were revealed. It looks to be very TT heavy with 2 ITT, 1 TTT and 1 MTT. Does this bother you?

Manager: Well, it's not ideal for my team, but the CT field is not that strong in Time Trial. Rogers will surely get a handful of time on us, and maybe Basso and Mollema will gain some too, but I hope we can still get our goals done.

Reporter: Also, your homecountry, Hungary will be included in the race. How does that feel?

Manager: I'm so happy about it!!! This will get some attention to Hungary, and hopefully the aspiring young cyclists in my country will get some more support on their way to turn pro.

Reporter: We will also have a stage, that passes through the St. Gotthard Pass, which has a cobbled section. Are you excited about it?

Manager: It will be a fun stage, but hopefully it won't affect the GC that much. I think that stage will be for the breakaway, but we will see. It is certain however, that it will be a beautiful stage, with amazing sights.

Reporter: Alright, that's it for today, have a nice day!

Manager: Thanks, you too!