SEGUNDA ENTREVISTA:
SPORTLIFE1) You are the "KING of the MOUNTAINS" in recent years, and therefore the pressure is very high... Do you think you will dominate this season again?Thanks, great title !
And there is no pressure on my climbers this season due to this combination of 5 reasons ;
# they are not real topclimbers ( the nrs 122, 152, 280 in the golden climb ranking ).
# my 2 best climbers are not experienced at all.
# this season is not really suited for climbers, and it is even uncertain if a climber gets a teamcaptain role in a big tour mountain stage.
# in my season schedule all my 3 climbers will have their peakmoment in 3 different big tours, so they have not an amazing helper.
# this season is to me a bit of a reorganisation season, so the expectations are often low, probably also in the mountains.
2) Last season Miorlin achieved fantastic successes, also winning a stage in the Giro as helper... who will take his place in your team now?Yes, Miorlin did great, also in previous season with 3 victories, and 1 victory even in a free role ( not in a helpers role as you stated ).
His first 1A victory was in season 2, the very first 1A season. So, for many seasons he did amazing and won a lot.
He even could have won more, because never in his career he reached the 10 stars and often he was the helper or got a free role.
Also with success, for example he was the main helper of Crouzel (also not high ranked), who won the world championship climb race.
But Miorlin retired as best climber of CFF (despite max. 9 stars), and to answer your question ; Miorlin is special and irreplaceable.
My best climber is now the 26yo Nyheim, very familiar to you because he is Norwegian and you are the NT manager of Norway.
And for climb stages with some flat in it, the 24yo Macannazi ( ITA ) is my best climber.
Both young climbers were bought cheap ( 1 million each ) at a young age of 21 or so, and since then I trained them myself.
3) Last season in the queen stage of the Tour you did a show by defeating Jeremy Huard, Boris Walker, Julio Miro, Geffrey Alexander and Allan Tuum who are very very much stronger than your cyclists according to dream team... would you like to tell about the SECRET of your succes ?Yes, that was an amazing victory of Basov in TdF stage 4 of season 14. One day later he dropped to a 9-star climber.
There is not just one secret to my success, it is a combination of many secrets.
And I rather keep it all a secret, otherwise winning will be impossible in the future.
4) What race are you most excited to winning this season?Well, before this season 15, I had not many season goals.
Concerning victories, only with Oscar Smith I expected 2 victories in mountain TT stages, and by now he already won those 2 stages.
And I aimed for two good GC results in little tours, although not a GC victory was expected. Those 2 are ;
# German Martinez in the Tirreno Adriatico = a dissapointing 8º place on 0:57" ( he is already sold )
# Ricky Vorre ( silver tour icon ) in Itzulia = at the moment the surprising GC leader after 2 stages.
That is about all for this season,
although I expect that my hills-specialists, my Frankfurt-specialist and my climbers can score many points too.
However....... this season there was a very surprising victory in Dwars door Vlaanderen by Jonnathan Stevens.
A 33yo 9-star cobblehills specialist, that I bought this season for 879k. Also he is sold by now.
So, this "in-between/reorganisation" season 15 is already successful, because my team never won a cobblehills classic race.
It is even just the 2nd classic race victory ever.
The first victory was in Frankfurt in season 13 with Dinar Samsonov, who is now riding in your team.
Also due to a new buy this season, I have one more new goal, the world championship race.
Because I bought current world champion Bob Kluivert.
Now 31yo and the hills competition is very fierce and maybe too fierce, so maybe he has no chance or just a very little chance this season.
To finally answer your question ; winning the WC race would be the most exciting, although my expectations are very low.
And I already had a very exciting classic race victory this season.
And probably there will be more new buys because setting up a mini youth team aside was a goal that is not achieved this season.
So, enough space in my team right now, and also enough free spots in the upcoming tours.
For example, I have no GC contenders for all tours after Itzulia.
Well, I will see how this season goes, it is a bit of "freewheeling" and being flexible.
Of course, I'm a Fox, and when I see an opportunity . . . . .
5) What are your goals for this season? ...and who do you think can win this special ranking in season 15 ?I answered this question in my previous answers. And I don't know what team can win division 1A this season 15.
I just know that SPORTLIFE will not defend the 1A-championship title of season 14. The 1A ranking is not one of my season goals.
6) Next season there will be Arfinn Mikalsen and his manager "Euroscalt" in the first division... do you think will change something in mountain races? ...and you can win easy also against him or are you afraid?Funny question.
My opinion ;
TeamEuroscalt has a tactical top manager (you !) + thé topclimbers of the game = full domination in the mountains of next 1A season.
You can see the stats of my best climber because he is Norwegian.
So, for you no worries about my team being a rival in the mountains, your topclimbers are much better.
Although, you never with that foxy manager in the mountains, if there is rain and sun, my unexperienced Nyheim might be a rival.
Your real climb rivals are in a few other teams, you know probably better than me who those are.
Also amazing topclimbers, but I estimate your team is even better, possibly much better, also due to your great tactical skills in the mountains.
