Written by Don Hamstre of Schiavi di Don
  
  Why did you start playing OCM? 
  
  I started OCM because I was looking for an online cycling manager game, I was already playing football (for americans: soccer) manager games and wanted to try a similar game with one of my favourite sports. As an aside, although I barely have the time to watch cycling competitions, it is still my favourite sport, along with football. My relation with cycling started during the Tour de France 1997, right now I follow all the main competitions, in particular the great tours. 
  
  I gave a try to several games and by the end decided this one was the best. The reasons for that were: 
  - I felt it was easier to progress starting from scratch, 
  - OCM was deeper in terms of training and game play 
  - It had a better community. 
  
  So, once you started OCM, when did that moment come when you thought: 'Hey, I actually understand this?', and what made you realise it? 
  
  Now that is a more difficult question. I have probably some 8 years of playing (can't be bothered to check, I hope other people will to correct my ignorance), so you will excuse me if I cannot recall exactly one moment. 
  
  The point is I am not the typical player, I do not play the game and learn while doing, actually I try to understand all the rules before I really start playing. This is why I was able to not blow up my starting 100 k immediately and I also knew generally how this worked after less than a week of gameplay. It was needed also for me to be able to select one of the 2-3 cycling managers I gave a try, as I did not want to invest more time in them. 
  
  Of course, knowing things theoretically and then understanding from the practical point of view how to succeed are different matters. In time, probably after 3-4 seasons of playing, I started to completely "get it". I remember that there was a moment when I was quite successful (in Div 1 - actually my best result) when I realised that I was quite lucky to be there and I also knew I will not be able to last. This was because I could not offer much more time, and time (and exact planning) was necessary for success, while I was playing mainly for fun. 
  
  I will give you two examples of this need for time and planning: in the past, you had to keep searching for new young talents in the transfer list, so who was more active had way more chances of getting good talent. I could not do that, I did not want to do that, so I prepared for an OCM life of deception (at least I do not deceive that expectation :) ). The second example, which is better known, and still active, is the registration to tours. I know that I could plan better and thus participate in more tours, but that is not my goal. I was happy to participate once in a tour (so much that I wrote a press release after), but I cannot motivate myself to set deadlines for registering my team in tours, so generally I miss the registration. 
  
   I'd like to know a little bit more about the early days. Do you have favourite riders from back in those days that really made a difference for your squad? 
  
  Yes, I have lots of favourite riders from the early days, most of which won't mean anything to the readers :). As you all know it is important to have good riders, as some max waaaay too early and live you frustrated and stuck at the PC monitor (or to be up-to-date your laptop, tablet, phone). 
  
  I had three riders that got me results in the beginning, or so I remember. 
  
  There was a Romanian rider called Raducioiu, who was a very poor climber (around 60-55-50

CL-DH-HL), but he got some results back then in Division G and F, but that was when even my non-trained riders could get results in time trials. Anyway he was the first consistent rider, he got enough results and so he is in my Hall of Fame. 
  
  Then there was Vyacheslav Smirnov, who actually determined the fate of my team up to now, as a sprinting team (he had 80-70-50 SP-FR-TQ, so he was my first 200 rider and by that time Raducioiu was not able to get anything out of races). 
  
  And finally there was Delrick Massart, a french sprinter (SP 88, FR around 75, TQ around 55) who was really great. It was bad that I did not have a stronger team to support him, but he almost single-handedly got me to Div 1 and allowed me to stay there for about a season with his exploits. He is one of the few good riders who I sold before he retired. 
  
  Now that you've mentioned getting all the way to Div1, what are the achievements that you're most proud of? 
  
  Obviously, getting to Div 1 and staying there for around a season was my best time here. Being number 1 in Romania for a long time, and being Romanian number 1 in terms of all-time points was/is also cool. Last time I checked I still was, but that was some months ago so I may be wrong. Anyway there are fellow Romanians who have developed excellent teams so it is a matter of time to be knocked off that perch. 
  
  I would have liked to give you more for this question, but the cruel reality is that I don't have many great achievements, I don't remember the most important wins and to start bragging about 4th division wins seems a bit rich. So I guess that is it! 
  
  Well, I guess many managers would be proud of Div4 results, but I admire your modesty. :) Following up on the Romanian part of your answer, why do you think the game is so popular with Romanian managers and are the Romanian Managers communicating much with each other? 
  
  
  To be fair, I've had also some Div3 results lately, but the truth is I do not remember the races. I had difficulties in understanding the races in real life, it is too much for me to remember too many new names of races. 
  
  Is it so popular with Romanians ? I still remember when I was more or less the only active Romanian on the site, I even managed the NT when it appeared (I think). 
  
  I know there are 6-7 fellow countrymen managers better than me now, but we don't communicate much, so I do not feel like the game is that popular for Romanians. I remember I got an offer from a fellow Romanian manager for a rider, it was in English :) he did not check the nationality of the manager when writing the message. Then again, it is also my fault, I did very little to socialize here, because of lack of free time. I hope this interview will change this and I will become really popular LOL. I remember I gave some advice to a new Romanian manager, but this was a couple of years ago, now as I am not in the top 5 nationally I suppose newcomers are not really interested in my advice, and they are right too. 
  
  Now coming back to reasons for this popularity, I suppose it is related to the following: 
  - we are quite numerous, Romania is one of the largest european countries, it is easy to have a bigger community with 20 million persons living (or originating from) here 
  - generally young people in Romania have interest for Internet multi-person games, there are big Romanian communities in the football managers I play; many times people get hooked and spread the word to their friends 
  - also the same categories of people are interested in sports, and many are interested in cycling, it is becoming more and

more popular, with the TV transmissions from Tour de France and the other Great Tours being the main culprits. 
  
  Apart from aiming to becoma a popular manager, what are your other goals for you current team? ;)
  
  Ha ha, good one! I think that if I wanted to become popular I could have. In most of the other games I was playing I had important functions, such as reporter or even national president (yes, I am not kidding !). But that was back when I was younger and had more time to spare. 
  
  I have to admit I am playing the game more because of inertia right now. I do not have a goal, I am simply developing the young riders, hoping for more like Weygaerts and less like Liebich or Ghidarcea, who have maxed way too early for my liking. I would say my main objective is to keep interest in the game and not give it all up :) 
  
  One thing I have thought about however is to change the team style eventually. When Sikes, my first +230 sprinter, retires, I will have more reasons to switch to hills specialists and then I hope I can start building a climbers/great tour team. I would hate the idea of changing all the squad quickly, although it is obviously better as a strategy, so if I can do it gradually it will be according to my style. 
  
  Slowly developing can be a very good choice as well, with building up xp on rider becoming an important factor of the game. You have been around for quite a few seasons now, but what was the change in the game that has had the biggest impact as far as you're concerned? 
  
  Oh, there have been a few important changes. The improved tactics was an important change, the team spirit was another one, and the experience was another one. 
  
  The changes in the retirement system was the most important to me, and then I gave much importance to the trainers. 
  
  I would say that each and every change, even ones that appear to be insignificant, need to be taken into account for top performance. I will give you an example, I don't play sufficiently for increasing team spirit, I should do it more. But to those that will read the interview I say: make your own interpretation of the rules and changes, and make sure you make better interpretation than the others. 
  
  
  Have you got anything that you would like to share with my readers, like a tip, a funny remark, or something else? 
  
  Ok, maybe this just my way of excusing my less succcessful results on OCM - but here it is: I think that people should remember this is just a game, enjoy it, have fun, but don't spend TOO much of your time on it. Except for reading funny and interesting interviews like this one :) 
  
  
  Training or Transfer? Training, definitely 
  Climbing or Sprinting? Climbing, although you wouldn't say it by looking at my team 
  Jerseys or Trophies? Jerseys and trophies :) I am a fan of polka dot so jerseys 
  Scouting or Buying? Buying, scouting seems really expensive 
  Favourite Active Rider? Weygaerts, because Sikhs has been a disappointment 
  Favourite Active Team? I don't follow Div 1 so my team is the only answer I can give. :-) Is Drapeau Noir still active? If so note it as my final answer 
  Forum or Chat? Forum. I wish I could be more active. 
  Real life or No Life? As I said previously, make sure you have a real life 
  
  Would you too like to be interviewed by The Don? Tough luck! Because The Don picks his victims at random, so you can’t do anything about it.