From dust to asphalt. From difficult moments to the joy of victory. Once again. Daniel Oss e Peter Sagan they hit the mark. Yesterday the Slovakian won at Tour of Switzerland, leaving behind one of the hardest moments of his career.
He and Oss, now inseparable friends, they had been in the United States to train. But before returning to Europe they took part in the Unbound Gravel, a very important event overseas.
Oss: word kept
The "other activities" issue was a discussion that Oss and Sagan they had put on the plate by the time they landed at the TotalEnergies"We want to have fun and try new experiences," Oss told us last fall. They were true to their word.
«Yes,» says Daniel, «we managed to do it. The Unbound Gravel coincided with the altitude retreat in Utah. Then it was in the air. The date coincided with the end of training camp, Specialized He took the initiative, and so we said, let's go! And it was cool.
«Our idea was to “not have a competition”. In the sense that We didn't participate to win, but to be with the people. To have fun and also to understand how it really worked, also with a view to the future. For example, I'm seeing the Transicnusa, in Sardinia. Some guys contacted me and it's interesting. I followed the social media Bam! that happened in Mantua…».
To study…
In Emporia, the venue for the event in Kansas, This great circus saw the presence of thousands of fans from all over the world. Oss told us that it is currently the largest cycling event in the States.
«There were five routes – Oss continues – of 25, 50, 100, 200 miles and the XL one of 350 miles, which was done in a couple of days. We took part in the 100-mile one, which is about 160 kilometers.
«Their spirit is totally different. There's the concept of challenge, of challenging oneself. Of adventure in this vast territory.For example, the route wasn't very clear. You had to make do with GPS and a map. Performance wasn't the focus.
"The people who take part don't train every day. Even when we started, the pace wasn't fast. There was no malice in the group."
Peter and I, not knowing how it worked, started out in front. Also for safety reasons. But we weren't going 50 miles an hour. We were going 30-35. Then, after the first "little jump," little more than an overpass, there were only 20 of us left.
«We stopped where there was water or assistance. We took selfies with people. We talked to them. Peter also had a little problem with his handlebars and fixed it. We had coffee and refueled. It was really cool. If I had to do it again as a simple cyclist with friends, I would organize myself with the backpackOne carries food, another inner tubes and tools, and yet another water…
"And in the end, it was a good workout. We came, as I said, from the high ground, and it was a good break."
From dust to asphalt
Oss was therefore with Sagan in the high altitude retreat. They were at 2.200 meters in Park City, A well-known Alpine Ski World Cup venue. And they've been there for quite some time.
«Almost four weeks – explains Oss – We slept at 2.200 meters and trained between 1.800 and 3.000 meters. Basically, with one climb you could reach Pluto! And you could feel the whole altitude… It took a lot of adaptation.
"Then Peter, who is a phenomenon, absorbed it immediately, It's taking me a little longer, but I feel like I'm on the right track. I'm lacking a bit of racing pace. Transitioning from mountain biking (they also used fat tires during the training camp, ed.) to racing isn't exactly easy for me. Peter is more used to it."
Important victory
And yesterday's victory in Grenchen was more significant than you might think. Oss recounts the Slovakian champion's difficult moments.
«I am, or rather we are, really happy with yesterday's success – explains Oss – Peter worked hard to recover. He worked a lot. He suffered greatly from Covid, he was severely challenged, and it wasn't easy to put it all aside. That's why it was an important victory.
«Yesterday I saw everyone's happy faces on the bus back. There was Paul Ourselin who pulled all day and had a smile from ear to ear. And I was also very satisfied with the work done by the whole team."
"A release from pressure? Well, the team didn't put that much pressure on us. It was more for Peter himself, for his morale. He found himself going from fast to pedaling with pain in his lungs.
"And then when the captain wins, it's always good. It's good for the whole team.
«Now let's look at the Tour de France with peace of mind. We can do well. We didn't see any stage, not even the cobblestone one, because with Peter you never look first.. You go and discover the path day by day!
