In its interview/confession, Ben Wiggins, one of the rising stars of world cycling, had spoken of the enormous pressure resulting from the burden of his surnameTo manage it he had specifically chosen to accept the invitation of theHagen's Berman Axeon to work with Axel Merckx, that more than anyone else he knows what it means to confront an important past.
For this reason we wanted to hear from the Belgian manager, considering that his team has many very interesting prospects, which we also dealt with and that he has a great ability to handle difficult situations but with many interesting perspectives like that of the British world champion on the track and protagonist of the junior road season.
Ben Wiggins is coming next year: what do you think of the Briton?
The first thing that struck me was that In terms of experience he is much younger, I would almost say immature for his ageThis is only the third year he's been playing cycling with conviction, but for that reason too, his story is a beautiful one. It's never easy to do the same job as your father, even less so in cycling.We talked about it at length, and with my personal experience, I can certainly help him find his own path.
Ben has said repeatedly that he was attracted to the opportunity to work with you because you know what it means to carry the weight of such an important last name.
There's negative pressure, there's no denying it. Every time the result doesn't come – says Merckx, referring to his past – It's normal for everyone to say, "He's not like his father." It's part of the risks of the job. It's important that he finds his own path, that he slowly manages to make people understand that he is different, a different rider compared to his father.He needs to emerge as who he is, regardless of who came before him, and prove what he wants and can do. I understand he feels the pressure, and I'll try to help him feel it less and less.
How do you work with a rider who had a champion parent?
It's not difficult anymore, It's just different because you have to deal with a different media pressure than any other rider., a pressure that is there regardless of the results. He knows well that without that surname he wouldn't have the journalists who are interested in him, the many interviews, the many articles. With that last name, he'll always be in the spotlight, not only of the media but especially of the public. It's annoying sometimes, I know, but if you go fast, it becomes something much less impactful.
How do you rate this season for your team?
A good season – Merckx replies – we have achieved 7 victories, conquered an important stage like the Tour of the Aosta Valley, a stop at the Giro Next GenOurs is a very young team, we knew that having the perfect season is practically impossible, but We can say we are satisfied because overall our children have grown.
At the start of the season, we talked to you about Herzog and Morgado joining the team. How have they gone so far?
morgado It started off well, with the victory at Tour of Rhodes and from there he had a great season despite a knee problem that cost him practically all of April and May. He returned to form for the Giro and was very important in Rafferty's victory in the Aosta Valley, then going on to win silver at the World Championships which for a first year among the U23s is a great thingNow he will make the leap to the WorldTour, it will take time but I think he can do very well even in a short time.
The impression we got was that Morgado settled in more quickly in the new category. Is it his fault or duke did he have more problems?
The German didn't have a good season, Merckx emphasizes, but it's certainly not his fault. He's always had health problems that prevented him from reaching peak form. In fact, he raced much less and stopped at the end of July. This is also part of the job, I think it was a useful season from this point of view because he learned a lot.I don't think he's felt much pressure from being a junior world champion, he just needs time to find his footing. He'll also move up to the WorldTour, I'm sure that at the end Bora Hansgrohe they will give him the necessary time.
Rafferty's victory at the Giro della Val d'Aosta surprised you. Do you see him as a rider with a future in stage races?
He is certainly already an excellent prospect for short races. He's a rider with grit, he's not afraid to attack, he won the Val d'Aosta precisely because he ran on instinct.He took the race head-on, without waiting for the final stages. He has a way of interpreting races that I really like, but it's clear that the Irishman has been improving steadily for a couple of years and is finding his true calling in stage races. He'll go to theEducation EasyPost and I believe that he will be able to stand out in the short stage races.
There are no Italian riders in your team, why?
History says so, but from next year we will have two, coming from the junior activity, which we want to grow and which we will announce in the next few days.
What will change Jayco's entry into your team?
Not much, except the company name. It's a collaboration with their WorldTour team, which doesn't make us a Devo team; we continue to have relationships with other teams as well. However, it will help the boys to have a privileged path towards the top division, we will often meet with the sporting directors of the Jayco AlUla But the team remains entirely in my hands. It's an investment in growth, both for us as a team and especially for the players.
