We, the staff of Pivovarna Laško Cycling Team, are very happy to have you here for the presentation of the team, in what's going to be our second season and our first in the pro ranks. After a very good season in the Division 2, the goal for the team will be, first and foremost, to avoid relegation, while building a solid core for the team, to allow us to think of more ambitious goals in the near future.
Obviously, that will be a challenge for a team like us, which needs to be built pretty much from scratch, but we feel that, thanks to our sponsors and all the people who support us, we're ready for it. Precisely, I want to remind everyone that our sponsors for this season are:
Title Sponsor
Pivovarna Laško
Laško Brewery is, fortunately, staying with us for another season, and they have already shown interest to keep their commitment with the team beyond the 2013 season. We are very happy about this because, beyond some tension for the team's weak start of the season, the relationship with them has always been very good.
Minor Sponsors
KRKA
The pharmaceutical company, with headquarters in Novo Mesto, not far away from ours in Laško, became very insterested in our team after our win in the GP Kranj. KRKA has always been very involved in sport sponsorship, and it was only a matter of time that they would enter in cycling. Of course, the best way was by sponsoring a local team.
Akrapovic
It's not usual to see an exhaust system manufacturer being a sponsor in cycling, but Akrapovic was long waiting for the right chance to enter a sport sponsorship adventure, and we're honored that they chose us. Their expertise in composite materials will be helpful in collabration with Colnago as well, or so we hope.
Bike Sponsor
Colnago
As we said, our partnership with Colnago is due to be a long term one, and we're very glad to keep working with them. Their experience was of much help in our first season, and we hope ot keeps being so.
Clothing Sponsor
Žolna Šport
Last season we couldn't reach an agreement with them, but now that our team is more established it was easy to reach a deal with them. They have a good experience in cycling, as they are making the Slovenian Federation's clothes for many years already, so it felt right for them to work with Slovenia's only professional cycling team.
Helmet Sponsor
Giro
The American helmet manufacturer contacted us after our Univest GP win, asking us whether we had a helmet sponsor secured for the next season. It's clear what our answer was, and we are proud that our victories have helped us to get the collaboration of such an established company.
Finally, I would like to say thanks, once again, to the great ANFreeman for his amazing design for our jersey, we'll be very proud to wear it in the roads of all the world:
Pivovarna Laško Cycling Team was created in 2012 with a clear idea, to become the Man-Game’s first Slovenian professional team. Before, we had to show that we were worth a spot there spending one season in the Division 2 of the Continental Tour. We didn’t have the best of the starts, but a very solid second part of the season meant the team finished in a very satisfactory 4th place in the Team Rankings, which, together with the enthusiasm shown by the team staff, riders and fans, and the great support of our sponsors, helped us get that precious spot in the Professional Continental Tour we’ll enjoy in the following season. Now, it’s time for the team to rebuild for a very different challenge, survival in the PCT.
As a race finishing in our country's capital city, Zagreb - Ljubliana became our biggest goal since the very moment it was announced that it'd make part of the C1 calendar.
- Top 5 in the Tour de Slovenie
Spoiler
And, of course, the goal number two was our home tour, the Tour de Slovenie. Not having a full roster yet, only time will tell if the unusually soft route will be beneficial for us.
- Top 5 in the Tour of South Africa
Spoiler
With the team wanting to focus, again, in the hilly terrain, and some of our sponsors pushing us for a "exotic" goal, South Africa became the most logical conclusion.
- Top 10 in the Tour of the Czech Republic
Spoiler
Another hilly stage race, and in Central-Eastern Europe, which is a key market for one of our sponsors, who asked us to get some good TV time there.
- Top 10 in the Team Rankings
Finally, the Ranking goal. A top 10 isn't particularly bold, but a realistic, yet difficult, target for our first season in the PCT ranks.
Edited by kumazan on 20-01-2013 13:39
Fans of our team, remember to follow us at our twitter account, @Pivo_LaskoCT. We'll try to be more active than last year, but at the very least you'll have a lot of transfer action there.
The team's ready for the 2013 season! Waiting for the transfer season with a beer in our hands! #mangame#PCT
The top sports daily of Slovenia, Ekipa, had an article today featuring some rumours about possible transfers for our team, we leave the English trasnlation to keep you all up to date with everything.
The cycling transfer season is getting closer, and the staff of Pivovarna Laško is apparently already planning how the team will be formed in the transfer season. Two top Slovenian GC riders are free after the disbanding of their teams, Simon Spilak and Janez Brajkovic, and while the staff reckon that the former is out of their reach, Jani is the rider they'd love to have as team leader for the next season.
Would Jani be interested in heading back to Slovenia?
Still in the free agents market, we can find the punchy duo of Marko Kump and Blaz Furdi. Both of age 25, they are the most talented Slovenian puncheurs, leaving Spilak aside, and it's not wonder that the team is interested.
Kump (left) and Furdi (right) are reportedly in Pivovarna Laško's shortlist
Another free agent supposedly of interest for the staff of Pivovarna Laško is Luka Mezgec. Maybe the best Slovenian sprinter, he is willing to test himself in the pro ranks, and Pivovarna Laško would be the most logical choice, for both sides.
Luka Mezgec could be Pivovarna Laško's fastman
The last name that's being stronly rumoured to be a target for the Slovenian team is Heineken's Kristjan Koren. The timetrialist, who recently became national champion in his specialty, would be a great addition for the team, but it's unclear whether the newly promoted Heineken team would let who was their biggest pointscorer last season go.
Will Pivovarna Laško be able to get Koren?
It will be difficult for the team to get them all, but they won't give up in their goal of signing a Slovenian core to build the team around.
After lots of hours of negotiations in the team's HQ in Laško, finally the renewals stage has been left behind, with a satisfying result for the team. Only three riders will stay from last season's roster, with all of them being among the team's stage or race winners. We wish good luck to the riders who are not renewing with us, and want to thank them for their work for the team.
The riders who are staying are:
- Matic Strgar
The winner of our home race in the D2, the GP Kranj, is staying with us. He was a solid domestique all year round, and now we expect the same from him, taking into consideration the higher level.
- Kristjan Fajt
Kristjan got a great win in Asturias, and was our leading stage racer despite being signed to domestique for the Venezuelan Chacón. He knows his role will change, but he's excited to have a chance as a pro in a Slovenian team.
- Marco Fabbri
The Italian became our first ever stage winner in the Tour de Picardie, and he did it again in the Tour of South China Sea. Now, he has the chance to join the pro ranks, possibly as a leadout for any sprinter that may potentially sign for us.
The spot allocations for next season's HC races has been revealed by the sport governing body, and we are very happy with the result, as the team got a place in all of our 12 preferred races. They are:
Tour of South Africa Giro del Trentino Kenya Mountain Classic Corsica International Tour of Vancouver Tour of the Czech Republic Manx International USA Pro Cycling Challenge Clásica San Sebastián Tour of Hellas Giro dell'Emilia Japan Cup
So a good mix of mountains and hills, which shows the focus we'll have in the upcoming transfer season.
Badaling International
Tour Down Under
Trofeo Luis Puig
Tour of South China Sea
Tour of South Africa
GP Postojna
Giro del Trentino
GP di Lugano
Kenya Mountain Classic
Vilnius GP
Olympia's Tour
Tour of Taiwan
Corsica International
Tropicale Amissa Bongo
Tour of Vancouver
Donetsk GP
GP of Moscow
GP Tunis
Tour of the Czech Republic
Tallinn - Tartu Grand Prix
Azerbaijan Tour
Tour de Serbie
Schwarzwald Classic
Tour of Eritrea
Oberosterreichrundfahrt
Zimnyanya GP
Manx International
USA Pro Cycling Challenge
Sibiu Tour
Taldykorgan GP
Tour of Hellas
Tour de Vineyards
Japan Cup
