It had never happened before that a rider of the Novo Nordisk left the American team to join another professional team, in this specific case theUnibet. Why are we talking about a team, the stars and stripes one, with a unique peculiarity: all its components are diabeticOver the years, the team has become a symbol of how one can play high-level sports even in the presence of this pathology, taking the right precautions. But Matyas Kopecky he broke the mold.
A record destined to last over time
The Czech rider chose a different path with full awareness. A team change that would be something very common, but which in his case caused quite an uproar. Leaving for the first Spanish retreat with the French team, Kopecky (which is only namesake of the former world champion Lotte: «Ours is a common surname in Czechia and Lotte certainly has family origins in my area») was not afraid to tackle a topic that is often still the object of prejudice.
«I started cycling thanks to my father and my brother. As youngsters, we always raced cyclocross, at a pretty high level in the junior category. I also competed in the World Cup, and my brother Tomas even reached the podium at the World Championships.. When I was in my second year as a junior, I started focusing more on the road, and in my first year as an U23, I signed with Novo Nordisk. This meant I would focus entirely on the road and had to put cyclocross aside a bit.
What is your relationship with diabetes and what was it like in the early years?
Obviously, when you're told this in the hospital, it's not nice to receive this diagnosis. But I've always taken it lightly and tried to handle it as best I could. I've never seen it as a big problem or a major issue. It's certainly something everyone on our team has to deal with, and it requires a lot of focus and attention. But you get used to it. If you manage it well, diabetes doesn't affect you as much as you think. For me, it's completely normal.
How much support did you get from the Novo Nordisk team?
Really great. Everyone—the riders, the staff, the team management—everyone knows what it means to be a rider with diabetes and what it entails. So it's a great help that, in every situation, the team knows what's going on and there's always a doctor at the races.But I wouldn't just talk about diabetes. I think the team has given me a lot of support from the first day I joined, even when it comes to performance and cycling. They've even adapted the racing program a little more to my characteristics.
You're the first rider to leave Novo to join another team: how will you manage your condition?
Yes, it's an important moment in the team's history, they told me and were very happy about this opportunity. But for me, in terms of diabetes management, it won't change much because at Novo Nordisk I took care of myself. I've learned everything I need to know, I try to do everything by myself as much as possible.We may not have a doctor at every race, and that obviously changes because the feeling of having a doctor with you at the race who knows everything about your condition gives a great feeling of security, and that will change. But I've already spoken about this with Unibet, they're well aware of my situation and have also been very supportive. I'm open-minded about it. and also helpful. However, I have always tried not to depend on other people with this problem.
How important do you think your example can be for people with diabetes who want to play sports, especially in your country?
I can tell you that at almost every race I see people coming on our bus and coming to visit us. Everyone tells us how wonderful it is that this team exists and that we're a huge inspiration to them all. They tell us about their experiences; we're an inspiration. By doing what we do, we motivate many people, we bring great hope to those diagnosed with the disease who don't know if they can continue playing sports. They realize that their lives aren't completely destroyed. I've had people come to me and tell me that what we're doing is truly extraordinary. So it's really important, not just in my country, but around the world, and that's what makes me most proud.
Are you satisfied with your season?
I'm really happy because I've taken another big step. I wanted to win a race, but I know it's not easy. Cycling is a very tough sport and I really wanted to give Novo Nordisk a win before I left, but if you look at my consistency, the UCI points, the results in the big races, I think for a 22-year-old, it's been a good job and I just want to continue to build on that and continue to grow. It's important to look at the bigger picture and consider the progress I've made over the seasons.
How did you end up at Unibet Rose and why did you choose to switch?
They'd been eyeing me for almost three years. They continued to observe me, to stay in touch. I really felt that they were a team that wanted me and I think the whole cycling world can see that it is a team that is a little different from all the others.He has a slightly different mentality, and that's also why he's growing really quickly. I think he can adapt to my performance level, but what I like is that they're really willing to grow and have signed some important riders for next year because they want to progress a lot. I think it's the right time to come on board and go with them because they're really after big races and I think it's a good match.
What are your goals for next year?
I think my biggest overall goal will be to stand out in the Classics season. That's what best suits my characteristics. And I hope to be especially good at Paris-Roubaix. It's truly my dream race, and being a protagonist there would be phenomenal., but doing really well there in terms of results would be even crazier. I just hope to get to the Roubaix velodrome and be really satisfied with the race I did.
