[ad_1]
The general manager of Team Ineos confirmed that a new era will begin in the British team: they are going to change their way of running. The new times of cycling-attack. This was what he said.
A historic press conference for Ineos. The team that knew the world, with their control strategy, in which they impressed a devastating pace in the races that neutralized any attack attempt by their rivals, is history. A way of running that last season traced, even more vehemently, the Jumbo Visma by Primoz Roglic. And Dave Brailsford, general manager and head of the British team, confirmed that they will run in a more offensive way. It will no longer be the regime of fear of losing, but of the illusion of winning.
Why the change? The retirement of Geraint Thomas in the fourth stage of the Giro d’Italia, following a disappointing performance in the team’s Tour de France, in which the title could not be defended, was a breaking point and a revealing moment for the British squad. Because, with a more offensive style, Tao Geoghegan Hart ended up winning the race and Ineos won seven of the 21 stages.
From there comes the striking selection of the team for the three grand tours, with competitive rosters and leaders spread throughout all. For the Tour de France, the leaders will be Richard Carapaz, Geraint Thomas and Tao Geoghegan Hart, who will not defend the Giro d’Italia title. In the Italian round will be Egan Bernal accompanied by Daniel Felipe Martínez. And for the Tour of Spain they will have the leadership of Adam Yates, waiting to add one more leader depending on the outcome of the other competitions.
Why the sudden change in running form?
The past was a year of changes and very hard due to the death of Nico Portal (former sports director). Yes, we did not win the Tour this time, but we enjoyed the last week. Then the Giro d’Italia started very badly with the retirement of Thomas, but the style and the way we raced as a team was very exciting to end with the victory for Tao. And Carapaz’s second place in La Vuelta a España was also very important.
To give an example, Paris Saint Germain is a great football team, I don’t look at it closely, but everyone knows that they are going to win the French league. When you have a dominant team, the sport becomes a bit predictable. And I think we raced in a very good way, but at the same time I think it lost a bit of the excitement and attraction of cycling. And that is also important to us. Some of our critics accuse us that we kill the sport, that we take away the romance and things like that. And after the Giro I understood that there was a point, I never thought to say this, but I felt different and I think the riders enjoyed it. They want to enjoy, that’s what it’s all about. That is what we need and that is the best for us and for the sport.
Read also: Interview with Tao Geoghegan Hart: “I would be happy to see a Colombian team on the World Tour”
How was that decision made?
We discuss it a lot in the winter. It was sitting down to ask himself a question: who are we at Ineos? And the second part of the season also had to see the opinion of the people. We ran in a different way, more open. And to tell the truth, the guys really enjoyed it. It was nice to go back to the old ways of cycling that we all love with more emotion. This season we will have a more open style, the sport is changing. Everything is more unpredictable and we enjoy it. We want the mentality to be not not to lose but to take chances to win.
In the second half of last year, the races were different. We ran differently and people and runners loved that way, it’s a very interesting trail to explore. More than a change, it can be a continuation. We are also giving more opportunities to all the team’s riders, to the youngest. Everyone wants to win something, they will not only be in the service of someone else. And I really repeat it: sport is changing.
What criteria was used to choose the riders for the grand tours?
We thought about how we could take advantage of the great laps and monuments, so we took into account the big three, not just the Tour, and we distributed our riders. Egan is going to focus on the Giro with Pavel Sivakov, Daniel Martínez and Filippo Ganna. Tao will be on the Tour, everyone wanted them back at the Giro, but it’s part of their development. Thomas and Carapaz will also be there, we all love the way they run. Richie Porte, Kwiatowski and Castroviejo will support you. And for the Vuelta the leader will be Adam Yates, we wanted someone focused, obviously someone else could arrive, it could be Egan, who can also go to the Tour, but it all depends on what happens. We wanted a balance in the races and these are changes that must be made. The race is about enjoying and not enduring, we go with that style and mentality.
Last year was not an easy year for Egan, even though he was setting the best numbers of his career. How is the team supporting you?
He had a back injury, it was difficult. He is a very talented young man who achieved success too early. When Egan came to the team he had a big smile whenever he ran. The first thing you thought when you saw him was his big smile. And his running was very aggressive, we are talking about a charismatic runner. It is important that you find that joy of running again. In my opinion, that of the team and also his, it all comes down to getting that smile back. Recover the love of sport, of rivals, of competing. And if you do it right, the results will come. But it is not about the results, but the process. Egan is a man with a lot of ambition and we are going to support him so that he can enjoy himself again.
(Read also: “I don’t want to stop being Egan Bernal”)
How difficult was it to make the decision to send Richard Carapaz to compete in the Tour considering that this edition will have even less mountain at high altitude and more tests against the clock?
That’s very true, but I think Richard can do well. He’s aggressive, he’s not afraid to take chances, and he’s not going to sit around and wait. He has character, he is a three-week runner, very sure, and if Carapaz wins the Tour this year one asks the question: how is he going to do it? Obviously he will not hold to do it in the chrono, he will have to take advantage of other areas and explore that world. That helps the team grow and will make it more exciting. He is a key character on this year’s Tour.
What do you think of Tom Dumoulin’s temporary retirement, will he be one less rival? Is it also true that they tried to sign Wout Van Aert?
With Dumoulin you have to talk about the person, not the competitor. How it is as a human being, that is the most important thing. The results come from the person, not the athlete. If you need a time out, that’s the right decision. You have to think on the human side first, he has our full support, he is a great runner. We want him to come back: if we want to be the best, we have to beat the best rivals and he is one of them, he is a great person.
It’s fair to say that Van Aert is a tremendous runner, fantastic to watch. You’re never going to say no to a conversation with him, but I think he’s happy where he is and we’re happy to compete against him.
It may interest you: Matxin: “At UAE Emirates we are not going to give up attack cycling”
Will we then see long-range attacks? With the new way of running, the door opens that there is the possibility of being able to lose …
At the Giro there were performances that were captivating for the viewer. About Tao in the Stelvio, everyone looked and looked and said: “This can happen.” It happened in the Tour, in the first kilometer nobody thought that Pogacar could win, in the following ones either, but there was a moment when we said: “Wow, this is interesting”. And in the end it was a: “My God, this really can happen.” That moment, with emotion, is the joy of running that we seek. Obviously there is a line between winners and losers, but first there is the will to create those opportunities. That’s what it is all about. Obviously we will not be naive or reckless, they will be smart races.
By: Thomas Blanco- @thomblalin
[ad_2]
