Alexander Konychev flew away from the cold and the rain and perhaps even a little from the worries of this start to the season. The Italian lad with the Russian surname is in Palma de Mallorca to enjoy some sun and prepare for the new season.He is one of the new names on the team. corratec, the new professional who is working hard to quickly climb the rankings.
Konychev leaves the WorldTour, he is the second Corratec rider who comes directly from world of the big namesHe has run the last three years at Bike Exchange and, between misfortunes and missed opportunitiesi, the paths have now separated.
What brought you to Corratec?
I learned quite late that I wouldn't be staying at the Bike Exchange – says Konychev – and I looked around a bit. There was this project, it's a young Italian teamIt seemed like a good opportunity to relaunch myself.
Who did you talk to?
I have often spoken about the project with Claudio Lastrucci, He is a figure very close to the team and I was his rider at Hopplà-Petroli FirenzeHe advised me to start again from here.
What years were those at Bike Exchange?
Details. In 2020 Covid slowed everything down and I didn't have the opportunity to do many races.Despite this, in the following years I was able to see many important races from the inside, such as the Northern Classics or the Sanremo. I learned what it means to do this kind of competition and to do it alongside important men..
What did you miss then?
I would say a bit of continuity in the preparation, I had several setbacks, such as the double Covid in 2021Then last season came the point-scoring thing, and the space to show off became increasingly limited. Mentally, I've been lacking the freedom to get results; it's not easy.
You turned pro at 22, after you started racing as a junior. Wasn't that a premature leap?
Well, I don't think so. Maybe if I had had a few more opportunities I would have understood how far I could go in the place that to act as a followerSomething will change in the future, one detail I want to focus on more is time trials, in recent years I haven't done many. It is also true that time trials are found in stage races and I haven't run many.
You were doing well with the Qhubeka continental team, wouldn't an extra year with them have helped?
The opportunity to compete in the WorldTour came up and I took it. I owe a lot to Bike Exchange. The level of racing between amateur and WorldTour is extremely different, confirming your status as a professional is always difficult. I've only achieved one major victory among amateurs, the Etoile d'Or, and in my opinion, turning professional was a necessary step.
Perhaps an intermediate step would have been useful, a professional one, like the Corratec now.
Arriving at an Italian team with an Italian mentality is always nice. The relationship with the riders and the staff will certainly be strongerIn a smaller reality like this, it will also be easier to be supported and feel trusted.
Was an Australian WorldTour too “cold”?
I would say that you definitely have a harder time building close relationships with your teammates. The first year, in 2020, when it was still Mitchelton Scott, the only Italians were me and Allied ProductsThen in such large teams you always work with the same group, it happens that you meet certain riders at the start-of-season retreat in December and then at the one in October.
Does a new rider tend to be affected by this different climate a little?
A young man like me who struggles to find his own space he is often forced to follow team ordersWe also do it willingly because if you help a teammate win it always feels good.
But it's when you're young that you want to try, understand and see how far you can go, exploring your own limits...
Exactly, let's say we would like to understand how far we can go, which also means hitting your nose to learnThere's always time to be a gregarious.
Wish for 2023?
To have more consistency, beyond the bad luck I would like to run more consistently and do many days of racing. The calendar that Corratec offers is beautiful and very rich, and it will allow me to do many races, even smaller ones, and put race days in my legs.
First race?
Return to San Juan, Argentina.
