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Johan Bruyneel at Revolution Cycles in Arlington, VA
By spokesman | June 18, 2008
I had the opportunity to see Johan Bruyneel at Revolution Cycles in Arlington, VA as part of his book tour. He is doing a short tour to promote his new book entitled We Might As Well Win: On the Road to Success with the Mastermind Behind a Record-Setting Eight Tour de France Victories
Johan signing books
The crowd at Revolution Cycles listening to Johan Bruyneel
Johan Bruyneel answering questions
The presentation started with a short video that showed highlights of Johan’s career as a team director . Afterwards, he took questions from the group. The questions covered a range of topics including how to clean up the sport (Johan deferred on that one), will Astana be invited to the Tour De France based on their Giro success (no) and a discussion of Ivan Basso. Johan took questions for about 30 minutes and then began signing books. The line snaked around the store and many people were buying multiple copies. As soon as I finish reading it, I will post a review. Thanks to Revolution Cycles (http://revolutioncycles.com/) for hosting the event. Some of the questions and answers are below.
Q: How do you feel about Race Radios?
A: For me the radios are something that we had installed in ’99. We were the first team to use them. Every rider used them on our team. They were a great tool and I think it would be a big step backwards if they cancel the radios. I think you can not stop the power of technology. There is a big misunderstanding about the radios because everyone says it’s not the same and influences the outcome of the race. It’s partly true, but if you would look at all the information that comes and goes on the race radio, there is only about 20% tactics and 80% information. When you get information its about security and the athlete is on the bike and he knows what’s coming up…he knows that there is a right hand or a left hand, if it’s [will be] raining, 50 kilometers here, if there is a car out front that hit the road and loses oil and is slippery. So I don’t think it would be good to go back 20 years or 25 years to receive the chase cars going into the group and shouting to the riders. It is very dangerous so I’m definitely in favor of the radios. There some people who want to try to cancel it, but I don’t think it will get there. You can’t stop technology.
Q: As obviously one of, um, well, the best director in cycling, do you feel any sort of responsibility to give suggestions to the UCI or ASO in terms of changing policy or do you just sit back and follow what’s given to you?
A: I would love it if they would listen to me. No I think the problem with our sport right now is so complicated and it’s gotten to where we don’t even understand what the real problem is. I was on the phone with one of my assistance this morning because there was a big meeting today with some big teams and the ASO there seems to be some progress made. The good thing is that everybody, the Teams, the ASO and the UCI all know and see that something needs to be done because they’re not certain what’s going to happen to the future. There are no guarantees. There are a lot of teams out there that have to have sponsors and if you get in trouble, it’s difficult to find sponsors. The key right now is that everyone see that something needs to be done and it looks like something will get done in the next few weeks. I think for right now it’s basically an ego problem and certain people have made some decisions and they feel too proud to change or give in a little bit. It would be very easy to solve the problem. The only question is are the right people at the right place to make those changes?
Q: What do you think of Big Tom Boonen situation?
A: Well, for those who don’t know, Tom Boonen is one of the biggest names in cycling. In Belgium he is unbelievably popular. He’s a big star, he’s a god. I had him on our team the first year he was on our team and he grew very very quickly and maybe even too quickly. For a young guy to become famous very fast I think is very difficult to…well I don’t think you see it with cyclists, not so much, but soccer places in Europe and over here with Basketball players, they are famous, they earn a lot of money and they think they can do everything. I think that’s what happened with Boonen also. He just assumed he was untouchable. I know he lacks authority, so that’s never been an advantage. Last week he did an out of competition test and tested positive for Cocaine, which at this moment it is not on the list of the bad substances for performance enhancing but I think the roll he has as an example for young people, well, it’s not good for his image, it’s not good for the image of the sport, it’s not a good image for our country. As soon as I heard the news, I knew what kind of decision, I knew the kind of decision the Tour de France was going to make. Although it’s not legally forbidden (in the tour) they direct the direction of anything that could damage the sport. They were able to decide on that and that’s what they did. At the same time, there is not the same standards for everyone.
Q: What’s your take on the Tour pulling time bonuses so that the actual time ridden is actual time at the end of the race. Is that a big deal, or does it even make a difference?
A: It’s not a big deal for me because we’re not going to be there (laughter). It definitely will change the race. Of course every organizer has the right to decide on these kinds of things. There is no rule that there has to be bonuses. I think over the years riders have gotten so used to the bonuses that they start to use their strategies based on the bonuses. If we were to go to the Tour, for example, it would change because the Mountain stages have qualifications and it’s not enough to just stay with the rest, you also have to try to win the stage because it’s an extra 20 seconds. I think it is going to change a lot of the first week of the race because the sprinters the be in a lot worse position with the Jersey. I think it’s also going to be very dangerous also because if you have the first stages of the tour are normally going to be sprints and it’s going to be the placings that will be important. There is a lot more calculations going on and more risks in the sprint. Hopefully it will be ok and after the first Time Trial then everything will be more or less settled. We’ll have to see. It’s back to normal with no advantage for anybody, so I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing.
Q: How do you think the Tour will be run without one dominate team to set the pace?
A: It’s going to be very interesting. Right now, I think there is two big favorites: Valverde and Evans. They have strong teams. The team of Evans is not used to controlling a race. It’s going to be very interesting and a big change for a lot of teams. In 2006, for example, the first year without Lance, we weren’t in a position to win and I knew this from before hand. Other teams were who had favorites, all of a sudden they came in a situation where they had been 7 years used to the same thing: try to stay with the strongest rider.
Q: I have a question about a guy who I regard as one of the greatest cyclists out there, George Hincapie. What do you think he doesn’t quite have? Is he not selfish in wanting it for himself enough? In the classics, it’s clear that he does, but it seems like he’s always having bad luck or whatever. He’s won his share, but when he won that stage in the Tour, he didn’t know what to do with it. You had to push him to win it.
A: George is one of the most loyal teammates on our team and for Lance. He is one of the greatest athletes I have seen. You know you can always count on him. I think George’s problem is that he is not excelling at anything specific. To win you need to be a top sprinter, and George is fast, but he’s not the fastest, or you have to a super Time Trialist, and George is a strong Time Trialist, but not he best and he improved his climbing skills, but there was quite a few climbers who were better than him. If you eliminate those three factors then the chances of winning are getting very small. There are chances, but you really have to have all the elements.
Q: Then he is the premier domestique?
A: And he was! He has never complained about that. George’s career and the satisfaction he brought by winning seven Tour de Frances on the team with Lance is a lot bigger for himself than any race he can win. You never had to push him or motivate him to work and I will always respect him for that.
Q: Will you be able to follow the same model with someone like Contador, where you will hire the right riders to support him for that one race assuming you get in next year?
A: I am definitely going to run the team the same way. Although I am not in a decision roll and I’m not on the road so much and I have to rely on the directors that are running the races, but I think only by watching the six months behind us it’s a very different team but the results speak for themselves. We are bringing the same knowledge and the same ideas about winning to this new team. For me this is going to be the most difficult year because I inherited a lot of athletes and in the off season it’s going to change a lot. So I think next year will be better next year, but this year you can see that it works.
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Topics: Books, Professional Racing |
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