I might have the chance to interview Morgan Kneisky.
Morgan Kneisky is riding for Raleigh since this year, after 4 years with Roubaix-Lille. He's a quite good sprinter. He already has won two world champion titles on track, in scratch and "american relay".
I am not sure you're allowed to (at least not under PCMdaily name). I could've interviewed Louis Meintjes, but Rin thought it would be unprofessional and childish if he doesn't do it himself, so I never did that...
admirschleck wrote:
I am not sure you're allowed to (at least not under PCMdaily name). I could've interviewed Louis Meintjes, but Rin thought it would be unprofessional and childish if he doesn't do it himself, so I never did that...
I've just received a mp from roturn with approximatively the same arguments.
If i post this here, it was not to do the interview under PCMDaily name, but to search other questions that i already have. I would have put - if the interview goes well - that PCMDaily members helped me
admirschleck wrote:
I am not sure you're allowed to (at least not under PCMdaily name). I could've interviewed Louis Meintjes, but Rin thought it would be unprofessional and childish if he doesn't do it himself, so I never did that...
True story, same with Sagan and Stybar here. Good that we were stopped in time, at least we cannot ruin all the mature stuff. Other way, Daily would look like kindergarten for sure Edited by Avin Wargunnson on 01-09-2014 07:39
Kneisky Morgan: I think that making a "double activity", road and track for me, did not please to the manager of the team. But losing your contract while being world champion and without knowing the real reason, it's a bit annoying!
L.V.S. : It must have been hard to live ... What do you remember from your four seasons with Lille-Roubaix?
MK: No, no, because from these managers that did not surprise me. This has hardened me, I learned a lot during this four years. I learned about the world in a professional continental team, I have also learned to fight without means.
L.V.S. Can you tell us how did you get in relation with Raleigh? Is it via an other cyclist, or did you go there by yourself?
MK: A former Raleigh cyclist (Eric Berthou) gets director in the team, and looked for riders for the criterium races (Criterium Series). My "road and track" profile quickly attracted the team.
L.V.S. : Does roundtrips between France and Great-Britain, between races and family, are difficult for you? From a sporting point of view as a emotional one?
MK: Yes, it is not easy to move out especially for periods of 4 or 5 weeks. Sometimes time seems long ... The fact of race often makes things easier. But my travels for track races aggravate this times. Since May, I came back only five weeks at home! That's a lot of tiredness and stress.
L.V.S. : You won the Stafford Kermesse in early August. Do you have a leadership position in all the races, or do you have to work for more experienced riders, as for example Alexandre Blain?
MK: No, I do not have any protected status. But I can take my chance on any races in England. But in the UCI races like the Britain Tour, I have my card for bunch sprints only. And I have to help teammates who plays the standings on difficult stages. There's no real leader, it can be everyone!
L.V.S. : You did not come alone at Raleigh. Your Roubaix Lille's teammate Matthieu Boulo signed in the same team. Is it a kind of pair in this new challenge outside of France?
MK: Yes, I have signed with Raleigh with my teammate Mathieu Boulo, we started together in Roubaix and we follow the same road. We are complementary, I help him on difficult stages and he protect me when the road is flat. On criteriums, we run together because we know each other, usually one is never far from the other in the classifications.
L.V.S. : Despite your presence in a foreign team, did you manage to convince Raleigh to go on French races?
MK: We ran a few races in France. The team knows that this is in France that there's the best races. But the team have to look at the money of the team, so...
L.V.S. How do you deal with the accumulation of track races and the road ones ? How do you organize your training that you need to prepare for the track as the road?
MK: The road and the track are complementary, I make long trainings on the road and sharpens my strengths on the track. I try to do both. My races in England are 50% of criteriums, which is very good for track, and vice versa. I have more difficulties to prepare stage races because I did not have many in my calendar, compared to before.
L.V.S. : Which of the races that you ran marked you the most?
MK: When I was with Roubaix-Lille, my favorite race was the "4 jours de Dunkerque". But since I discovered the Britain Tour, my preference was easily changed! This race will be my No. 1 goal in the next season.
L.V.S. : Next year's World Track Championships will take place in your country, in the new velodrome of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. For this occasion, which disciplines are your goals?
MK: I was world champion in scratch and Madison. Now I'd like to be in the points race and again in American.
L.V.S. Bryan Coquard announced that he intended to do the Madison race with Thomas Boudat. So you have to face them ... Pity?
MK: He can be Bryan Coquard, but he never showed anything on Madison globally. This discipline is a discipline of experience. And he did not have any. To win the world championships, you have to work all the winter. On track when I'm 100%, I fear no one. So the fight is not a problem! Afterwards, there's a coach who will judge the performance of each in order to align the perfect pair.
L.V.S. : As a specialist of the Madison, you had different teammates. With which one did you take the most pleasure, without wanting to have jealous?
MK: I took pleasure with everyone because all have strengths and weaknesses! I like the fact of learning who are the teammates, to be as efficient as possible.
L.V.S. : We know you primarily for your five world podiums on track, including two titles. When did you start to practice this discipline, but also, when did you start cycling?
M.K.: I started in an cycling school, when I was 6.
L.V.S. : Are there differences between the "french" cycling , as you have seen in Roubaix-Lille, and the "english" cycling as you practice with Raleigh?
MK: The races in England are much more open, there's place for the attackers. In France, there's always a sprint finish, while in England it is rarely the case, even in criteriums.
L.V.S. : Do you feel the rise in the cycling popularity in the UK?
MK: There's are a lot of people on British racing, on criteriums and on road British series too (sort of English Cycling Cup). The public in England is young ...Cycling there is really cool.
L.V.S. : Being in an English team, you race with many Saxons cyclists around you. Is it was hard to adapt, to fit in?
MK: No, it's easy to adapt because in France there's also an international peloton. The hardest part was to know the riders.
L.V.S. : Are you thinking about going back to France in a few years?
MK: I'll make an other season with Raleigh, it's a very good experience. If I have the opportunity to return to France, I'll think about it.
L.V.S. : Between you, the global specialist in track,and your friend Matthieu Boulo who had many results as cyclocrossman, is your team diversified across multiple cycling disciplines?
MK: No, Team Raleigh is only a road team. The team remains on road objectives. The cyclo-cross and track are not a priority for Raleigh.
L.V.S. : Your team races on the Europe Tour, in Continental. But I guess you still follow the World Tour races. To make it simple, what did you think of the last Tour de France?
MK: I have not been able to fully follow the Tour de France because I was in England. But from what I saw, I found it interesting. The start in England shouldn't be easy to manage, and then the cobbles have been difficult especially in the rain. And I'd love to see more resistance against Nibali.
L.V.S. : Thank you for granting us time! We hope to see you shine in St-Quentin en Yvelines.
MK: Thank you, good luck to you !
Et même maintenant sur @PCMDaily, traduite dans la langue de Shakespeare !
