Can you be happy in this cycling? Daniel Oss rolls his eyes and we realize that the Marzullo-style attack might perhaps seem too unusual. But we know exactly where we want to take him and he decides to trust us.So get comfortable, it will take a while, but you will like it.
We are at the end of our stories from Return to San Juan, while you read about this meeting we will be flying from Buenos Aires to Rome.
1) Can you be happy in this cycling?
"The prerequisites for happiness in real life are a bit sparse. Happiness must be sought after. In cycling, as I experienced it, everything is happinessOf course, the question refers to professionalism, the kind we live so intensely, never stopping, always with the result in mind, always there. It's great if you can do it. It's fun to be strong and fit. These are the things that give me the courage to continue.Of course, you can be extremely stressed, as in any other high-level job. But all in all, from the height of my 36 years, I see that in all high-level activities, you trade a little happiness for success.I think even a great entrepreneur sacrifices some of his own happiness to achieve his goal. So, probably, yes.
«In a race like San Juan, you can carve out a little happinessThinking about the things you can gain from cycling, I see so much happiness in relationships, in interacting, or talking with new athletes. I definitely have many years of professionalism behind me, and the new ones have a different mentality, a different desire to do things, a different character. Tik Tok formed them and so they are a bit distant from me, but I like itThe relationships I build with new people give me energy. When I moved on, I also saw a certain distance with the older ones and I tried to fill it because I wanted to reach them».
2) Is the rider an entrepreneur of himself?
«In this sense, cycling has changed a lot. Peter gave the go-ahead to this situation, before him Pantani and Cipollini. Great riders, champions, stars who have become that kind of character. So it's clear that there situations or dynamics arise for which you must also be able to manage the entrepreneurial partIn the end, it becomes another job. It's a business you carry on beyond the result; it's not about taking away, but adding. It must advance concurrently, otherwise one thing is not as good as the other.. For this reason now you can no longer just think about winning, but you have to be able to present yourself in a certain way.
«You have to talk, be closer to people than before, because the internet has given us the opportunity, indeed it has forced us to be closer to people.It's a good thing, but even in this field there are situations to manage. I believe riders are intelligent, not just sprint, time trial, or any other physical performance machines. They've also become more capable of understanding the world. We're more open and on the ball.I repeat: it's still something to manage. So perhaps by going back to before, some of the happiness will be lost. Sometimes you are forced to do things that you may not want to do, but they are necessary.».
3) Do teams ask for engagement on social media?
«There's demand from the teams because we communicate on social media, without a doubt. A rider who wins and communicates well is also more attractive to sponsors. It's no secret, it's obvious, just like it is for television. In the sense that a good performance at the Tour de France is worth more than one in any other race, the social media rider is the Tour stage. Communication has become a source of interest for teams, to the point that we are almost obligedBut the point is that despite this, being yourself is more valuable. On social media, there's no point in trying to be someone you're not. If you show who you really are, you're more credible. It's a question of credibility.».
4) Are social media erasing journalists?
«From my point of view it is wrong if someone thinks like this. The relationship with the media is certainly seen as something extra. It adds to the list of things to do and deadlines. It's not a matter of choosing, talking to the journalist is one of the things. Just like you do the repetition, there's also the journalist to call in the evening. It's part of the system.It's not like a pizza chef can make 100 kilos of dough and then not have the ingredients to top it. So he has to pick up the phone and call his supplier to order the ham, mozzarella, and tomato. Well, I want to tell you that you're the mozzarella supplier (laughs, ed.). If you rely heavily on social media, you're only telling it from your point of view..
«For example, I also see the newspaper, whether it's paper or not, that's another matter. Like Apple, which opened a physical store, because you can no longer just sell online, but there must be a point of reference, even an objective oneThe newspaper is the same thing, the external point of view of someone who tells the story. But I'm thinking about the young people who just scroll through photos on social media, they're there too.But there's still a large segment of people who read it and enjoy it. It's no longer the newspaper you open, but maybe there's a link that takes you to your great article. So I don't see it as something you can decide to do or not. On social media, you decide what to say and that's it, but it's nice to have another point of view. Answering a question reveals much more than what you would write alone.. It opens another door for you."
5) Is it better to run or train?
«I enjoy running more, in the sense that training is harder on me than running. The thought of going back to training at home in the cold is hard. I much prefer running like this. The grind of the most important races is tough, but maybe it helps to go out in a group with Bodi, Peter and the boys. Or I prefer to go on a raid, like today when we went out for a couple of hours. You also have fun stopping for a moment, then with my Just Ride obviously there is no need to even discuss. That makes a little more clicking sound and so it's a little more fun."
6) The objectives for 2023
«The objectives are the usual ones: classic and Tour, which is not up for discussion when you ride for a French team. As much as I also want to do well at the Tour, because I've always done it, even with Liquigas. There was a team for the Giro d'Italia, and I was sent to the Tour. In the end, things went even better for me, because in France I was feeling great. And then there is the gravelI spoke to the team, who gave me a certain green light, meaning that if I have an opportunity that doesn't clash with the road dates, I can go. I'm not saying I'm getting organized, but I'm curious. I'm always checking the calendars... Well, entering that race, yes, it excites me. They are tough races, different and therefore… I'd like to make one or two, preparing for the World Cup."
