Between Tour of Italy e Tour de France. Always a particular period for the riders and also for the teams. With Joxean Fernandez, to the century Matxin, let's go see what's happening at home UAE Emirates. The Asian company in fact in Dauphiné, without its leader Tadej pogacar it is the one that has been seen the least, among the squadrons.
How was their post-Giro? How are they approaching the Tour? They are the defending champions and certainly cannot be overlooked.
Matxin, let's start with the post-Giro. Some speculated that since Joao hadn't finished the Giro, he would go to the Tour. And so?
Absolutely not. None of those from the Giro, at least initially, were planned for the Tour. And we want to maintain this annual plan. At the beginning of the season, we create a personalized program (schedule and, consequently, preparation) with each player. We listen to them, understand what they'd like to do, and, together with the team's needs, we develop a program and try to keep our promise.
So everyone knows what to do and be ready…
Exactly. But the reality is that with COVID, some things can change, but that's another story. It might happen that a student isn't fit, but basically, you stick to the program. This allows you to work more calmly and with clear ideas.
Returning to Joao Almeida: how is he?
He's more or less recovered. It took him a while to test negative. He started cycling, but first he had to go through our protocol, which is quite stringent. You know, with all the heart problems he's had. He should have returned to work. Tour of Switzerland, but there's no point in making him make such an effort right away. As for the rest, I don't care what people say. His program included the Giro and the ReturnIf he had clearly stopped after three stages, then something could have changed. And it's not like us to stop a rider to transfer him to another race. It happened, but for completely different reasons.
Who are you referring to?
A Gaviria in Romandie. We stopped him before the final two stages, two long mountain stages, to bring him to the Frankfurt GP, which is for sprinters. But we had discussed it with the organizer first, out of respect.
And now we come to Pogacar: how is Tadej?
Good. He's following his approach to the Tour correctly. We have reached an agreement with Livigno for its high-altitude training camps. And it's all as his coach expected, Inigo San Millán. He will race in the Tour of Slovenia (from 15 to 19 June, ed.).
Has he changed anything in his work, perhaps more quality or, on the contrary, more resistance?
More than anything I can say that he is testing the new Colnago Time trial. He's getting out of it a lot. And then he's taking care of the things he needs most, the ones he felt he was lacking in. Our idea, however, is to keep him at altitude as much as possible, so that This height is found in the second and third week of the Tour, when it's really needed. In this sense, doing Slovenia is perfect.
Have you put together the team for the Tour?
95%, even 97%, I'd say... it's been done. We'll reveal it between Dauphiné and Switzerland, we're waiting for everyone to complete their schedule, as mentioned at the beginning. The same goes for the reserves.
Do they also train as if they were going to France?
Yes, they'll be ready too. But I can't reveal the names. It's up to the team, and then we'd like to do a nice social media launch. Then, of course, there are some essential guys like Majka e Soler, as well as McNulty more or less… I've already told you a lot!
Of course, Matxin, the Richeze seen at the Giro would be a godsend in the flat and cobbled stages at the start of the Tour?
It was my choice: we don't bring sprinters to the Tour. Max isn't there, but we have many other riders in UAE that can do well on the cobblestones and in the wind. I'm thinking of Trentino, Laengen.
He retired due to fever, but given how things were going at Dauphiné, Ayuso it would have been a nice suggestion for the Tour…
No – Matxin replies dryly – not at all! Juan is 19 years old. And I say this because I've believed in him since he was a first-year student. My answer is no, without a shadow of a doubt. I'm thinking about his career. Juan has 15 years ahead of him, and if he wants to grow and have a long-term career, not just one related to his contract with the club, he has to... UAE, he must take things slowly and make few mistakes. So far the longest run he has done was the U23 Tour last year. And then I would never bring a champion—listen: I said champion, to make him stop on the second rest day. And the same goes for the Vuelta. It's a different story for the sprinter.
You were very clear!
Look, taking the young man to a big Giro and then having him stop I've done it only once with Felline (the reference is to the 2010 Footon-Servetto, ed.) But at the time we were a very small team, we had few opportunities and not even a defined racing schedule.
