Cycling: Renat Khamidulin, as General Manager of the Gazprom-RusVelo team, made two significant transfers. Ilnur Zakarin and Roman Kreuziger join the team. In the Velomotion interview, he talks about the reasons for these new signings, the possible effects of the corona pandemic on cycling and the short and long-term goals of his team.
The all-determining topic in cycling is the corona pandemic. How has your team survived this difficult time so far?
Renat Khamidulin: “We dealt with it right from the start. The UAE Tour was canceled after five stages and we had to be in quarantine for two weeks. The four months after that it was really difficult. But our riders were able to keep up the motivation and, as far as we know, none of our riders stopped training. They were on the bike almost every day, if the location allowed it. Some kept fit on the roller trainer. Especially in this difficult time we are very grateful to our sponsors. Our namesake Gazprom has continued to support us and has not reduced or even stopped payments.”
What long-term consequences could the pandemic have for professional cycling?
“We all hope that the corona pandemic will not have any long-term consequences for cycling. It is important that all the races are put back on the calendar and can go ahead as planned. Even more important is the question of what health consequences the drivers will suffer. We have also had positive cases in our team. These passed without symptoms. In the long term, however, we cannot yet estimate whether and, if so, what effects the virus will have.”
With Ilnur Zakarin and Roman Kreuziger, two experienced professionals have been signed. What led to this change? Because previously, Gazprom-RusVelo focused primarily on young talents from Russia.
“The experience of such seasoned drivers has a positive impact on the entire team. Our young drivers can learn a lot from Ilnur Zakarin and Roman Kreuziger. This means they have role models in their own team who can help with their further development. They look up at them. We've seen this helpful in other teams and sports as well. Because they not only help directly in the races, but also off the road. For example, when it comes to further developing the equipment or changing something on the jersey. Such seasoned professionals can provide helpful feedback in each area to help the entire team. They also ensure positive aspects and reactions from fans, the media and the race organizers.”
Please welcome our newcomer for the season 2021 Roman Kreuziger! 💥👏
“New teams, new challenges! I am set to share my experience with the young riders and of course I will be helping Ilnur Zakarin to fight for the GC.”
📸: Marketa Navratilova#RockTheRoyalBlueJersey pic.twitter.com/hBB8jIBgaU
— Gazprom-RusVelo (@RusveloTeam) November 18, 2020
What are Gazprom-RusVelo's goals for the 2021 season?
“As with global sport in general, the Olympic Games are of course important to us. A lot of teams and drivers focus on that. Otherwise, of course, a lot depends on the invitations we receive. We are particularly excited to see the wild cards for the Giro d'Italia. We would love to be there. The organizers know us and we've been there before. They know we're well organized and of course they know our squad. Many aspects influence the decision. Mauro Vegni (race organizer of the Giro d'Italia, editor's note) himself said that he was no longer interested in inviting teams that could only show themselves in breakaway groups. They should be able to compete at the level of WorldTour pros. With Ilnur Zakarin and his top helpers Sergei Chernetski, Nikolay Cherkasov and of course Roman Kreuziger, we hope to have a good chance of getting a wildcard.”
Do you already have plans for promotion to the WorldTour?
“So far we have not dared to take this step. However, Gazprom and other companies are very interested in cycling. With our services we would like to continue to win the sponsors for this idea. However, the licenses for the WorldTour are granted for several years. At the next award, we might take the next step and see how it goes.”
Last year you had to let a top talent go with Aleksandr Vlasov. Does the loss hurt a lot, or are you also happy about his good development?
“We just let him take the next step. He has developed splendidly with us over several years. As a result, some teams were interested in him. Of course we are pleased to see that he can now also convince at this top level.”
Which Russian talents could become the upcoming top stars?
“We have high hopes for Denis Nekrasov and Nikolay Cherkasov. You have been driving for our team for a number of years. If we look at the really young drivers, Mathias Vacek should definitely be mentioned. Our newcomer is only 18 years old. His results were strong and he also convinced us in our first performance test last week in the training camp.”
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