[r]Three swiss witch-bitches, which
wished to be switched swiss witch-bitches,
watch three swiss Swatch watch switches.
Which swiss witch-bitch, which wishes to
be a switched swiss witch-bitch, wishes
to watch which swiss Swatch watch switch?[/r]
"I just want to ride my bike, i don't do that for my own victory", "I just want to help my leaders", "I am very happy to have second place for eleventh time in the season"... When you are gregory in professional team you must look for your words very careful. I did it for three years and now I want to say - BASTA! Not this year! I want to be a winner.
I started to cycle in races in 2004. It was small russian team. Of course, in first year you don't count on victories, you just try to be among the riders, helping the leaders. The main race for me was five rings of Moscow, which I finished in 36th position, 1:22 from the winner.
2005 and 2006 were the educational years for me. I used to ride for Omnibike/Moscow stars team. I've done many Russian, east-european races, and a few Spanish and French races, and my best was vuelta Asturias in 2006, where I was on GC leader for one stage (i was in victorious breakaway and then made good TT) but I losed it on queen's stage and finished it on 10th position.
I think this race was the decisive race of my career - I was invited by continental team Orbea for 2007. I knew that it was my ticket to the pro status and I did everything I could. I was in every breakaway I could, I tried to sprint on every flat stage, i made mane good TTs and finally i received invitation from senior team - Euskaltel-Euskadi
Three years in protour team made me a strong rider with high skills: I am good in almost every terrain (well, cobbles are not mine), I can be useful on climbs, I was last wheel for Koldo Fernandez on flat stages, few times I was in top-10 in PT time trials. But the best I achieved was mountain classification of Vuelta Catalunia and still no stage or GC victory.
And now, in december of 2010 my contract expired, I have to decide where I want to be - of course Euskaltel invited me for another 2-year contract, but there are other opportunites.
I sent many e-mails to Spanish teams where I asked them to let me ride for them and they all wanted me, but just as a domesticque. But I wanted more. In the end of December "the Bat" told me that I have new message, I opened it.
"Dear don Maxim!
We know that you are willing to ride for our team and we think that it is quite possible. The case is Oscar Sevilla, who was planned to be our team member is pulling away his contract with us and we now have one vacancy in our roster.
Knowing your abilities we can assure you that you will be one of protected riders of the team and you surely will have possibilities to ride for yourself. But you also must know that we can't afford any in-team struggles, so if it needed, you as everyone else must work for Mikel Astarloza, our absolute leader.
Hope that you will be our teammate,
general manger of team Festina - Specialized
Maximo Blanco"
I think I shouldn't tell you, that in few days I was already in team headquarters in Barcelona. After some working with text, I signed the Contract for 3 years and new, 2011 year I was celebrating as a member of new team, I wanted to be the best and this time it depended only on me.
And here is team composition:
Our trainers/sports managers are:
Enrique Gerrikagoitita,
Felix Garcia Casas and
Pedro Diaz Zabala (with whom I working closely)
Also our masseur/doctor is Jose Emilio Quadrado
Edited by Maximka on 28-09-2011 06:22
January is not my month, so I only went to pre-season training camp in Calp with my team-mates, while 6 of them rode tour of San-Luis. They started not the best, but Eloy Teruel had won TT stage, which result was followed by Manuel Vasquez's and Daryl Impey's victories on hilly and flat stages.
Team leader, Iban Mayoz, was good on every stage and, although he didn't win any of them, he finished in yellow jersey with Vasquez on 7th and Pinto on 10th!!!
That was awesome result for new team in our first ever race!
