BORA – ARGON 18 media day – Interview with team
managerRalphDenkaboutthestartofthenewseason.
Ralph, the last season has been very successful, for example by winning the German
NationalTitle.WhatcanweexpectfromBORA–ARGON18thisyear?
Sofareverythingwentwellduringthewinter.Allridersdidstayheathy.Nowwetrytobuild
upshapeonourcamphereinMallorca.
Whendoyoustarttheseasonandwithwhichraces?
WestartwiththeMallorcaChallengeendofJanuary,thendotheTourofQatarandTourof
Oman with the group that prepares for the Classics. The group of riders preparing for the
stageracesdoMurciaandAlgarve.Thatmeanswecanprovidealltheridersagoodseason
start in terms of racing. And I want to admit that this is not easy, because every team is
fightingforinvitationstothefirstbigraces.SoIamabitproudthatwedidourjobwell.
Whenyoutalkaboutthedifferentgroups,whichridersareinthedifferentgroups?
For the Classics we count on Schillinger, Pöstlberger, Achbold, Dempster, Thwaites,
Schwarzmann,Matzka,BauhausandPfingsten.OntheothersideNerz,Buchmann,Mendes,
Voss,Konrad,Benedetti,HerklotzandMühlbergerarebuildingupforthebiggerstageraces.
SamBennett,ourmainsprinter,willdopartsofbothprograms.AswellasRüdigerSeligand
JanBárta.
AndwhataboutBartoszHuzarski?
Bartoszhadashoulderoperationduringthewinter,becausehehadregularlyproblemswith
dislocatingitduringthelastseasons.Ithinknoweverythingshouldbefineagain,buthewill
startracingabitlaterinMarch.Thenhealsowillbeourroadcaptainagain,takingcareof
theyoungerriders.
Tostaywiththat,theyoungerriders.Whoisnewintheteamthisyear?
Wecontractedsomemoreyoungtalents,likewedidbefore.Ourgoalistosupportyoung
guysontheirwaytothetopofcycling.AndIthinkwithEmanuelBuchmannwedidagood
jobsofar.
New are Silvio Herklotz, Gregor Mühlberger and Lukas Pöstlberger, and we think all three
candevelopinthesamewayEmudid.HerklotzandMühlbergerareclimbersandwillfocus
onstageraces.Lukasisanall-rounder,hecanprovehimselfintheClassicsthisyear,butdid
alreadywinstageracesinthepast.WithRüdigerSeligwehavealsoanewriderwithWorld
Tourexperience.HehasbeenintheKatushatrainforAlexanderKristoffthelastyears.Now
hewilltakeonasimilarroleinourteam,andhopefullySamcanbenefitfromhisexperience.
Besidesthenewriders,whoaretheonestotakeresponsibilityandshouldgettheresults?
Well,forsurewehopethatSamcanwinagainsomeraces.ButalsoJanBártaisoneofour
captains when it comes to smaller stage races or the Classics. He is well experienced and
showedinthepasthisabilities,especiallyintimetrails.
IthinkalsoDominikNerzwilldogoodagainthisyear.Hehadanawfulseasonlastyear,bad
luckallthetime,buteveryoneknowsthathecandoreallygoodintheGrandTours.Butin
general for stage races I see also Emanuel Buchmann and Patrick Konrad, together with
Dominik, as our “Three Musketeers”. Emu and Patrick improved a lot over the last month
andIthinktheyaregoodtosurprisesometimesthisyear.AlsoGregorMühlbergercanbe
oneofourGCguys,buttherewillbenopressureonhimthisseason.Hestillneedssome
timetodevelop,buthealsowillgetsomefreedomtotrytoprovehimself.
IsthereanyothernewsaboutBORA–ARGON18?
Well,formeoneimportantthingis,thatwetrytodotwoGrandToursinoneyearforthe
first time. We applied for the Tour and the Vuelta and I hope we get wildcards for both
races.Thatwouldbeabigstepforus.Wecouldgivesomeoftheyoungguysthepossibility
togainexperienceinabigthree-weektour,andIamsureforsomeofourridersitwouldbe
anecessarynextsteptotheirdevelopment.Sowehopethebest.
Ralph,thankyoufortalkingtous.