“From our first season as ProTeam I would keep the sacrifice, commitment and effort of everyone”
November faces its final stretch and in the offices of the EOLO-KOMETA Cycling Team these hectic days of preparations, meetings and other commitments are lived with intensity. The 2022 season is just around the corner. The structure prepares his second project in the ProTeam category with the good taste of mouth that has left a first year, always difficult, in terms of image and results. We spoke with Fran Contador, General Manager of the EOLO-KOMETA Cycling Team, to know his impressions on the past, the present and the future.
The 2022 season is just around the corner. The structure prepares his second project in the ProTeam category with the good taste of mouth that has left a first year, always difficult, in terms of image and results. We spoke with Fran Contador, General Manager of the EOLO-KOMETA Cycling Team, to know his impressions on the past, the present and the future.
A first question almost obligatory. What is your assessment of the first season of the EOLO-KOMETA Cycling Team?
It has been a very good first year, from my point of view. A new category, with all its difficulties, needs an adaptation, a time. And the start was not easy in terms of the calendar due to the COVID-19. I think the image projected by the team has been serious, professional, and it has also been accompanied by results on the road. I’m not thinking only of Lorenzo’s victory on the Zoncolan; throughout the Giro d’Italia the performance has been very good. And in general during the whole season. I think it has been a very good campaign to the point that this 2022 all that performance is going to put extra pressure on us in the sense of the responsibility to continue in the same line.
The team has made a name for itself, it is recognisable and the fans have embraced it with affection. From the point of view of that support, you can also talk about additional pressure…
There is no doubt that this is something that will come, or at least I have no doubts about it, but I think that the pressure is something that we put on ourselves. All the staff have a mission, a task, a responsibility, doing things well and not relaxing. Then circumstances will determine whether the results are better or worse. But hard work, without relaxing, always gives results.
Apart from the Monte Zoncolan stage, because of its inherent impact, what other moment of the season would you highlight?
More than a moment, I would say the whole Giro d’Italia. From the beginning to the end, everyone’s commitment was total, it was absolute. During the whole race, each and every member of the team, riders and staff, gave 200% every day. We were all aware of the importance of the moment, we were all eager to honour this invitation, which at the beginning was possibly questioned, because we didn’t know how the team would perform… I would take the sacrifice, commitment and effort of everyone.
Have you missed any goal, any victory, any event?
Above all, I would have liked to have been able to spend more time with the sponsors, which is something that goes back a long way because of the pandemic and all the restrictions it imposed on a global level. It is true that with the title sponsors, with EOLO and KOMETA, we have been able to carry out some actions, as much as possible and within the limitations of the moment; and also with the AURUM bikes. But I hope and wish that in 2022 we can count on a better sponsorship activation. In the end there are more technical firms like Gobik, Kask, Koo, DMT, ENVE… that have a higher visibility thanks to the competition and their belonging to cycling as a sport. Other sponsors such as Retelit, Elmec or AVM, due to their own activity, do not have it and it is very important that we can organise events around the team and count on their presence in the race. We are very happy because they have all expressed their satisfaction with our work this season.
