"I'm trying to learn. Next time I'd like to do the interview in Italian..." The chat with Erik Cousins It starts here, while he is finally enjoying some rest in his Budapest, a city that often comes up in his speeches, confirming his homesickness. Fetter is one of the many young talents of theEolo Kometa, who stood out especially in the second part of the season with a stage victory at the Tour of Limousin but above all, coming close to the podium among the Under 23s at the European Championships in Trento.
With him, but also with Attila Valter, an opponent on the road but a good friend outside of competition, Hungary is discovering cycling (without forgetting Kata Blanka You among women, one of the best multidisciplinary prospects in the world). In the Hungarian country, two-wheelers had never enjoyed much popularity, the best rider had been Laszlo Bodrogi at the end of the century, a good pro' but nothing more. Now, however, the prospects are very different, with young people claiming their space in a much more globalized cycling.
It's almost a coincidence that Erik Fetter is now a protagonist on international roads, at his roots cycling wasn't exactly his first choice: «My father Gyorgy was a national track and field athlete, he ran the 100 and 200 meters and also took part in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Sports have always been part of my family. I got my first bike when I was 6, and it really was an eternity ago... I followed my brother as he trained on his bike, and little by little I developed a passion for it, first for mountain biking and then for road cycling."
Erik Fetter at 7: Already a winner and a TV star… Erik's first passion: balance exercises on mountain bikes. In MTB: he finished 9th in the Team Relay at the 2017 World Championships
Erik Fetter at 7: Already a winner and a TV star… Erik's first passion: balance exercises on mountain bikes. In MTB: he finished 9th in the Team Relay at the 2017 World Championships
What's the cycling situation like in your country? Is it more popular?
If I have to make a comparison with just 5 years ago, it's a whole different story. It used to be a niche discipline, but now it is much more popular and I think it will be more and more so.. Next year the Tour of Italy It will start from Budapest, I already know that it will be a great party, very followed on the streets and on television, There's already a lot of talk about it and work is underway. I believe it will be a turning point.
Why?
I believe it will give a great boost, both to us athletes but above all to the city which will be able to show itself to the world in all its beauty. I am convinced that in a few years cycling could become one of the leading disciplines in our country, but clearly a lot depends on how much we pros can do, that is, me and Attila, who are the youngest and on the launch pad.
This year, among the various races you participated in, you were also at the Tour of Hungary. How did having a showcase at home make you feel?
It's beautiful, I was able to see firsthand the increased attention that cycling is receiving in my area. In the penultimate stage I even came close to the Top 10 and in the last one, held entirely in Budapest, there were lots of people on the sides of the roads.It is a rapidly growing event (won by the British Howson with ours Tiberi third, editor's note).
How did you end up running in Italy?
Last year I signed the contract with the Kometa in Spain, after a year in the Pannon, my country's Continental team. Then the team moved to Italy and my perspectives changed a bit. All things considered, it was a stroke of luck. I'm having a great time in Italy, and not just because of the food... I live in Jesolo, I'm on the sea but with the Alps just a stone's throw away, and I love Livigno; for me, it's the most beautiful place in the world.
Are you satisfied with your season?
Quite a bit, even though the beginning wasn't easy, both for settling in and finding my feet. In fact, I performed better in the second half of the year. However, with 41 days of racing and two victories, I can't complain. I have to say thank you to the team's technicians, who were patient and always encouraged me and complimented me, but I want and can give much more..
Have you got an idea of what you can do in this environment?
Not yet, I think next season will be decisive in that regard. So far, I've been a rider who adapts to any situation, in one-day classics as well as stage races, on climbs as well as on the flat. I want to understand if I can do something not just well, but better, and for this 2022 will be very important.
Is there any particular competition you dream of winning?
In the meantime, I would like to take part in the Tour de France; for me, it's every cyclist's dream. Then I would really like to win a medal at the Olympics or the World Championships, I think that would give a complete meaning to my activity.My father almost reached the semifinals in Seoul: I know I can make him even more proud than I was. I really hope to be at the start of the Giro in Budapest next year, see him at the finish line, and maybe give him a little joy...
