We have the pleasure to present a new column in the Risa - Ergon HQ. Through the season Calvin Watson will share his thoughts with the whole cycling world.
Hi, I'm Calvin Watson. I was asked to do this column, since I have most race days on the team. In total I have 70 race days throughout the whole season. I'm born on the sixth of January in 1993, so that means that I'm turning 21 four days before the season opener in San Cristobal.
I'm good on the hills and with a few more years in the saddle, I hope that I can achieve a level that means I can be a valuable member of the Risa - Ergon squad. For me, this season is all about development, but I'm strong enough to help Nathan and Vegard before the final, so I can hopefully do a job there.
I joined Risa - Ergon last year, but I was rather disappointed with the amount of racing. I was promised more racing time this year, so I'm very happy to double my amount of race days for this season. Hopefully I can show off my qualities even better.
I will start the season with opener in San Cristobal and I'm very happy to announce that I'm also riding the Tour Down Under. It will be really nice to ride with riders on such a high level, and I hope I can pick up one thing or two.
This blog will be updated with the inside information about the races and I really hope to show the world Risa - Ergon from the inside. At the moment I'm enjoying some days off. I was scheduled to race in the Bay Crits, but a late change made it possible for Josep Cooper to get in the team. Therefore, I have been in the team car with tastasol and our Aussie SD, whom is working with tastasol in the Asian races, Dylan White. It was a really fun experience, to really see what the boys were doing back in the car.
Fortunately, we didn't have any crashes or punctures and the boys even pulled of two stage wins. Also, seeing that Bling and Nathan can win races, really boosted the moral in the team. We know that we work for a rider who can win the race, not just a rider who hopes to finish amongst the top 20.
We didn't have those kind of riders last season, but after a little change in the team this year, many experts and managers has said that we are the team to beat this year. The whole team were thrilled to read all the positives about our team, so we are probably stronger than ever mentally. We want to show that the experts are right and we want to set a high standard right away.
The next update will probably come after the Tour Down Under. Hopefully I can bring you some good news then..
We have the pleasure to present a new column in the Risa - Ergon HQ. Through the season Calvin Watson will share his thoughts with the whole cycling world.
Well, obviously a long time since Tour Down Under, but a hectic race program, my studies and some sickness has delayed my blog.. The season started decent for us, with Bugge's 5th place in San Cristobal. Since then, the season has been downhill really. We've had a very tough spring, with lots of high quality races. The manager said to us before the season that he had to fill up the calendar and therefore chosed to take the C1 races primarly in the start of the season, so that we could gain some extra experience before the end of the season. Now we only have the extremly tough Tour of Taiwain(C1, 7 days) and the HC race Wanze - Arenburg left of races with a higher level than C2HC.
Tour Down Under was my first race of this season, and I must say that it was an overwhelming experience. The start list was absolutely insane and just to be the peloton with a rider like Michael Van Staeyen was very encouraging for me. Nathan did a good race and we were often seen in the front, but the level of the field was just too high for us.
Me and William going towards the front to help Nathan.
After the early win in the Bay Crits, it has been a difficult season for Michael "Bling" Matthews. I'm still convinced he will do better though, and we need him to perform in Himmerland Rundt, which is held in two days, the day after we are finished here in Beauce(where he is my roomie). The race is a win goal for the team and obviously a huge race for the team since it's held in Denmark. We don't have any races in Norway this season, so the Scandinavic races are increasingly more important.
A tough field hasn't been the only reason for our extremly weak opening of the season. Our performances hasn't been as expected, as simply as that. We have had a few crashes and stuff, but our overall performance has been good enough either way. In the first races, we also felt that the other teams were looking very much at us and there has been a lot of breakaway winning races so far this season. We were a team that didn't challenge for the top spots, so the pressure in the peloton has been very different compared to last season. But now, I feel that we have started to find out of things and we hope that we can perform like we should for the rest of the season.
This week has been very good for our team. Volta ao Algarve finished a few days ago. Nathan managed to get in 4th place, while William finished in 11th place. Alone on those four days, we managed to get as many ranking points as we've had the whole season. The performance in Algarve gave me and the rest of the squad in Beauce a boost of confidence. We had Bugge as our captain and oh my.. The performance he delieved on the hilly stage was probably the sickest performance I've seen in my life. He outclassed everyone and got a huge advantage in the GC. He held on to that lead in the ITT and as this is written, he have one stage left at the race. It's a flat stage, so if the stays on his bike, he will probably win the race. Bugge's win on the third stage was our first win of the season(finally..), but we have strong hopes to get another victory. Bling won the sprint in the peloton today, in a stage where we saved our legs a little bit. Tomorrow we want to keep it together, so that Michael can sprint for the win.
But now, it's time to the rest for the final stage here in Canada. After that it's a long trip to Rwanda. There is only one day to travel from Canada to Rwanda, so it's obviously a hectic period for us.
Good night, fans
Long time no see, guys. Since the last update I've raced all around the world. After our relatively rotten start to the season, we have climbed in the rankings and we seem to have a good chance to promote to the PCT at the moment. My last race was the Cigar City Brewlight Twilight GP, where Kenny managed a great solo victory. I must admit that Kenny has struggled this season. He was brought in to team to dominate the CT cobbles, but he hadn't had the luck with him before CCBT GP. The team was absolutely buzzing in the bus afterwards. We haven't been blessed with victories this season, so it was really good for our confidence.
I now have three races left of the season, GP Montreal, Cauberg Classic and GP Yektarinburg. I see those three races as three brilliant races for the team to get another victory. It will be tough days for me, but I see clearly that I'm much stronger now than last season. With further development, maybe I can be a future captain.
We're here at Tour de'l Avenir, where former Risa-Ergon loanee, Kristian Dyrnes, just managed a victory on stage 6. I, Per Mandagsfjord, am of course happy to see one of the aspiring Norwegians do a brilliant race, but the critical(or controversial as other people say) journalist in me doesn't like to focus on the positives. After a hefty fight with Svein Sveiobua, I managed to get twenty minutes with Risa-Ergon team manager tastasol in the small community of Bourgion-Jallieu, where the seventh stage in Avenir starts.
- Well, tastasol, the season is coming to an end now. You're still in the battle of promotion, do you think you can hold on?
- You know, I think we have a fair chance. We have a couple of good race coming up, Kenny just won his first race for us and the MGUCI have hinted that it may be more than five team who promote. I think for sure that we will race in the PCT next season.
- Are you happy with your season so far?
- To be honest, no. It seemed like every expert tipped us to win the CT, something I highly doubt that we will do. We should have done better and I should have done better.
- There has been a few complaints about your calendar here in Norway. What do you think of your choiches?
- Our calendar hasn't been perfect, and I've tried to spread out the race days probably a little to much. You have to remember that it is only my second year as a manager and I will learn from the experience. Our biggest problem this season, in the planning, was simply that we had to many riders. We probably should have had a smaller squad and I've already decided that some of the guys won't continue in our team, either we're in PCT or CT.
- Can you name any riders specifically?
- Alexander Kristoff will certainly be released. You know, we hoped he would fly like an eagle in the sprints, but he has had the speed of a stone. He has really let us down and I've already told him that he won't get a new contract now. Though, if he suddenly becomes stronger over winter, we may want to take him back. He said to me that he knows that he hasn't been good enough, but that he wants to come back on a higher level. I hope he do, 'cause he is a wonderful person to work with and a role model for the whole group. You can't take him on his attitude.
- How likely do you think that he'll improve in the winter?
- I don't know to be honest. He said that he wanted to change back to his old coach, Stein Ørn. Since he came to our team, I myself have been responsible for his training. Maybe I'm just a horrible coach?
- I'm relatively sure that you are. Anyway, who others might leave the team?
- We have been discussing with the likes of Hakon Frengstad Berger. He is improving, but I just don't think it is enough. Also Jonas Aaen Jørgensen will be released. He had a great victory in Boras Runt last season, be just hasn't delivered since. Michael Matthews is our new sprint leader, and we will probably look to get in a rider on his level to replace Jonas.
Jørgensen on his way to victory in Sweden.
Christer Rake, Øystein Stake Laengen, Ken Sebastian Vassdål and Joseph Cooper are other riders that need to impress me during the last races of the season and in the training to get a new contract.
- In your first season, you had a clear focus on the talents and here in Avenir there surely are some. Have you started planning the next transfer season?
- No, not really. I'm only here to watch the best youngsters in the world battle for victory and support our lads. I haven't seen Damien Howson since he joined Aker-MOT on loan so it was good to catch up with him. He also impressed me with his prologue. He is surely a promising rider. For sure I would like to get Kristian Dyrnes back again, but I'm sure that ember won't allow that. He was great last year, and he has taken huge steps since that. Every team would like a rider with his abilities.
- Since you're mentioning ember, how have you reacted to the news about the teams future?
- I was surprised. It will be great for Norwegian cycling to have a WT team with almost only Norwegians. Next year there will probably be one Norwegian and one Australian team in the WT. Oz have been great this year, and tsmoha have really done a wonderful job there. Norway and Australia should always have a team in the upper division, if you ask me. But with the news that ember gave us on monday, it might look like he will be in the PCT soon. I just hope that he doesn't take all the talents!
- I've seen you chatting around him with down here, what do you think he'll do?
- There surely aren't that many Norwegians on a high level at the moment, but they are coming up the ranks like rockets at the moment. I know that he follows the domestic cycling in Norway very closely, so I think he will manage to do some great signings. Hopefully I can get one or two of the talents coming up as well.
On the other hand, I do think it's sad that Aker and Norwegian sponsors overall, are letting the team with a Norwegian world champion down.
- Do you think it's possible to maintain a Norwegian focus, when Aker-MOT is going to have over twenty Norwegians in their team?
- It will be hard to get the best, that's for sure. As for now, the gap between Boasson Hagen and the rest of the Norwegians are too big. I don't think that I can have a Norwegian captain in the PCT, for instance. That means that Australia might be the biggest focus area for the team in the coming seasons. I would like to keep a Nordic and Oceancic core, but there might be "foreigners", like Brice Feillu last season and Kenny De Haes this season. Only time will show.
That was all from France, my name is as always Per Mandagsfjord and I'm the best journo in Norway.
Edited by tastasol on 09-05-2015 21:54
Very interesting stuff! Kind of cool to see so much of Mandagsfjord's work being related to our team
Releasing Kristoff could potentially be big news, depending on what SN thinks of his stats and a possible overhaul. I would love to see him with better/slightly more realistic stats.
You're absolutely correct on Dyrnes, he's staying. It would be cool to see him lead in the PCT when fully developed though, but I guess/fear we'll be able to give him that chance in 2016 ourselves.
It will be very interesting to see what you do before the next season, and I definitely hope you promote this season. Think you're looking pretty safe as well with the current standings. That should give you a lot of freedom thinking of the wage budget compared to this season and the previous one, which I suspect could mean some serious bidding "wars" on some of the Norwegian riders.
Well, the best Norwegian cycling journalist is of course following the best Norwegian team closely..
Very excited to see if there will be any new Norwegian riders added to the DB. Your suggestions was good, hopefully they will be taken into consideration, though I do think that Eiking and Vangstad may need another year, so that they can get super-stats
Kristoff most likely getting an overhaul Not suprising that he has been different in the mangame compared to real life, I think noone expected this progression when he rode for BMC...
After a somewhat disappointing season, Risa - Ergon were granted promotion to the PCT due to disbanding teams.
– It's not the way we would like to promote to be honest. We didn't performe on the level 'everybody' expected from us at the start, simple as that. Seventh is a decent performance, but we aimed higher, tastasol said.
You have only achieved one of your ten season goals in your first two seasons.
– Correct.
Will we see a new strategy or focus from Risa - Ergon in the upcoming season?
– Well, Risa - Ergon will still be Risa - Ergon. Our sponsors are happy with our work, so you won't see a change of focus when it comes to nationalites that we are focusing on.
How about the setup of the team?
– Well, GC guys have never been my thing. I'm a classics guy. That's where the action is, if you ask me. So you won't see a Risa - Ergon squad fillled up with climbers. Of course, every team must have someone, because of the HC-bands. But our clear focus area in the upcoming transfer season will be to strengthen our squad on the hills, cobbles and in the sprints.
Is there anyone that you in particular you're following?
– Yes.
Who?
– I'm not here to talk gossip, Mandagsfjord! But given the riders that now are available on the Free Agency market, I don't think it's hard to identify some of our targets.
Most of the national championships are ridden, and Damien Howson took a win(for Aker-MOT, but on loan from Risa - Ergon) in the Australian RR. What were your reactions to that win?
– I was just shocked! I've never seen Damien do anything good in anything else than time trials, so.. I think the odds were quite high on him, if you know what I mean. But it's great to have an Australian champion in our team. I'm not sure if we will see him in Risa - Ergon colours next season, but I kind of feel pressured to let him be here now next season. Damien looks set to be a great TT'er. He was even close to a medal in World Championships.
What do you aim for next season?
– Avoiding relegation. This will be our third season as a professional team, and at this point I'd hoped that we would have been a midtable-team in the PCT. We're a bit behind that, so it's important that we now build steadily in the PCT, and then, maybe, in a couple of seasons... I dream of PT, of course I do. We have a long term goals that say PT by 2018. And that means we can't relegate up and down now.
Good luck with that, tastasol, You'll probably fail horribly(I certainly hope so), so you need all the luck you can get...
November 27th, 2017 - Girona: Jonas Aaen Jørgensen leans back and enjoys a sip of his coffee in a small coffee shop at Plaça de Catalunya.
The city, just a short train ride from Barcelona, has been his home the last six years - as for so many other Scandinavian riders fearing the cold winters up north.
The past seasons have been tough for him. After thriving in the early part of his career, he was cut loose when Risa-Ergon promoted to PCT before 2015. He managed to get a new contract with Verkefnid Iceland, but the whole team collapsed early in the season.
He tried getting a contract for 2016, but couldn't find any suitable team. Yet he still trained hard and raced local races in Spain and Denmark, in hope of getting a contract in the 2017 season. Again it turned out unseccessful. He once again grit his teeth and trained his hours. One last try.
As another off-season goes towards the end, he's starting to realise that his career is going towards the end. He's enjoying the coffee break with some of his training buddies when he sees a familiar face entering the shop.
– Anthony, is that you? Hold nu kæft, mand! What are you doing here?
Anthony Giacoppo looks up, surprised to his former team mate Jonas Aaen Jørgensen smiling at him. The Australian was bought up by the big Australian Team Oz Cycling Team after a stellar 2013 season for Risa-Ergon. In 2017 he rode for Garmin-BikeNZ Cycling, but the team managemt informed him earlier this fall that he would not get his contract renewed.
– Jonas!
Anthony reaches over to Jonas and gives him a big hug.
– Long time no see. Are you enjoying retirement, you Danish rocket?
– Well, I'm actually not retired yet. I just haven't been able to get a contract these last two years. And it doesn't look good now either, Jonas says.
GLORY DAYS: Jonas Aaen Jørgensen took a great win in Boras runt in 2013.
– Seriously? A man of your quality? I'm surprised. It's not looking too good for me either. I've just been informed that I will be relased at the end of this season and my agent hasn't been able to find me a new team. So now I'm here in Girona, trying to show myself for some of the European teams. I was just training with one team now, but I much rather sit with you and remember the glory days! After all, my only victory so far came in 2013.
– Yes, in Geelong!
– Yeah, I had a great time back then. First I was helping Chris with his extreme performance in the Bay Crits. Heck, we won three of first four race days as a team. He was just flying by then! We were always an underdog team, but then Michael Olsson managed to win the GC in Tour de Bretagne.
LEADING OUT: Anthony leading out Chris Sutton to his third win in the Bay Crits in 2013.
– Sutty won again in a stage in Portugal or somewhere, and then you took that great win in Sweden. So when we got to the end of the season, I really felt that I also needed to get a win. And it came in Geelong. My one and only! And it secured me that move to Oz, which was a dream come true for me.
MAIDEN WIN: Anthony Giacoppo celebrating his win on the 6th stage in Geelong Tour.
– Yes, that winning feeling is great. That victory in Boras runt also turned out to be the last one for me, so I've desperately trying to get back there these last seasons. But I think I'll have to retire now.
– You know what, Jonas? Sometimes I just wished we were still racing for Risa-Ergon. I still like the team that they have now with Grieg-Eftel and they have even kept riders like Michael Olsson and Øystein Stake Laengen all these years, but, well, I just miss that beautiful jersey in the peloton.
– It would certainly be a dream come true for me to race for Risa-Ergon again, but I doubt we will see that again...
– Well, actually, I have a friend back in Australia that just got promoted to CFO. I could always hear with him if they are interested.
– That would be great, Anthony. I still have the same number, so give me a call if anything comes up.
They shake hands and go their seperate ways. A glimmer of hope lays within Jonas. A last chance, though he knows that it's a very slim chance. But at least a hope.
December 21th - Copenhagen: Jonas stretches out. He's just landed at Kastrup, the airport in Copenhagen. He's home for Christmas. Home to his family, who's been very supportive, but who's stated that he probably needs to retire now.
A third year without a contract and meaningful races is not good for him, they say.
He agrees. His bikes and all his stuff from Girona was sent up by a truck two days ago. His apartment is already listed for sale.
He turns on his cellphone and it startes to vibrate instantly. Three missed calls and two new messages. It's from Anthony.
– They're doing it! They're starting up a new Risa-Ergon team, is the first message.
Jonas immeditately calls him up.
– Is it true, he asks?
– It's true! Apparently Risa have been trying to get into the cycling sport for a couple of years themselves, and after partnering up with Ergon again, they have enough funds. That being said, since it's so late in the transfer season, they will only be able to get hold of 8 riders and will have to do a restricted calendar. But just let the word out to any Scandinavians you know of that could be interested, and we'll see who we can gather, Anthony says.
– That's just fantastic... Well, then I have to work to do!
Jonas hangs up and for the first time in a couple of years he's truly happy again. Finally he'll be back and fighting against the pros.
January, 1st - Stavanger: Jonas looks across the floor. Seven other riders. Three from Norway, one from Sweden, one from Serbia, one from Australia and one other rider from Denmark. He's back in the colours of Risa-Ergon. 35 race days, spread around the calendar. He can't wait to see if his sprint could again give him a couple of top results.
Squad:
Calendar:
Baltic Chain Tour
Etoile des Besseges
KBC De Panne Tour
Olympia's Tour
Tour Down Under
Tour of Cyprus
Tour of Southland
Viana do Castelo
1 Jour de Dunkerque
Betonexpressz GP
Coppa Placi
Giro del Trentino
GP Yektarinburg
Hanko Classic
Heistse Pijl
Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne
Lillestrom GP
Sakartvelo Trophy
Loving the story here. Very happy to see Jonas getting one more year in the universe. Sprinter inflation has been cruel to guys like him, but it's good to see him getting one last chance.
Also happy to see Lilholt getting a team! Was a solid domestique who put up some surprise results a couple of times, but not strong enough and too one dimensional to keep when I went for promotion. Best of luck!
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy
Great story and great to see both Jonas and Anthony have another chance to fight for victory. The team also looks like it's well suited to support them in their quest.
Also excited to follow our nominee Antonijevic with his aggresive racing style
Glad he got another chance! I just couldn't see him fitting into my new plans for the team unfortunately I hope he does well here! I look forward to racing against him shortly in the TDU!!
Nice write up and some cool memories particularly from Giacoppo of course. He's been on my list for the Mitchelton team as well, but decided to bring back Jones instead. I will celebrate every single mention of Giacoppo in a report though
Not suprising that he has been different in the mangame compared to real life, I think noone expected this progression when he rode for BMC...
I hope he does well here! I look forward to racing against him shortly in the TDU!!
