Written by Asymm Project at 13:57 19/11-2014
Rumours from the Asymm Project headquarters in Port Dickson, Malaysia, are that Holger might be thinking about disbanding the team to rebuild it from a different approach.
Asymm Project is about to tackle yet another attempt at Germany Tour with an Asian rider, after near-misses with Delicano (2nd, 6th and 9th) and Keovilay (4th). The chosen rider, of course, is the Malaysian hero Dollah Zainal, who might also have a chance at the World Championships at the end of the season. During the German Race, the leader will travel to La Provence to try to win the classic, emulating his predecessors Delicano and Keovilay.
If there's a thing that Asymm Project likes, that's Tours and cobbles. Having won the Volta ao Porto in their first attempt, they've steadily achieved major feats as the Roubaix Classic or the Vuelta de los Castillos. Still, their two favourite races remain unconquered: the Germany Tour and the TvA. They've trained two riders especifically thinking about them: Dollah Zainal and Qi Yiqun. And will use their top forms in the next two editions of the races, with Germany Tour starting in Kiel this Saturday.
The rumour is simple: the team will have no top forms left from big riders after the next TvA, and with an increasing ageing of some of the current top riders (Keovilay is 31, April 32, Habtemariam 31, Arata 29), it might be the time for a big (partial or complete) sell out to try to drop some divisions and target different objectives while searching quietly for more Asian and African talents with the money gathered.
Holger has been asked about the question, and these have been his words: "For some reason, we haven't been able to make it to the top 10 consistently. I'm not here for being a top 20 team, I want to make it to the top, or if that's not possible I want my riders to have fun. I'd say that our strategy might not be radical enough; we're doing kind of the same things than the rest. I like my team and my riders, but it might be a time to take things easier and visit some friends in the lower divisions. It's too cold up here...
"Of course, I'm not saying that we plan to do this for sure. We're completely focused on Germany Tour at the moment, and we're monitoring Yiqun's rest for TvA. But, wouldn't it be nice?"
And then he played the Beach Boys' song and allowed no extra questions from our reporter.
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Comments
GL in TvA. This experience loss while TF recharge is a contentious issue. Some others disagree with you. However, the lack of TFs in tours show that this is the new convention right now.
Good luck in Germany! A win for Zainal would not be surprising, I think, but everyting can happen in Germany!
lol
Best of luck for TvA!
I have given you a helping hand with the African talent part ;) Should pop up more African talents in the future.
Still, I'm recharging Yiqun, lol.
Not without top form, and with the current state of experience importance, I have the feeling that experience loss for not competing while recharging TF might be too big in comparison to the possible benefit of TF, since:
a) The exp loss ('not gain') while recharging is 100% likely to happen.
b) Having an off-day-free, injury-free, mechanic-free TF is not 100% likely to happen.
Not many best wishes for intentions to come and join our divisions :D I think Keovilay can still win GT:)
Best wishes for a second place in TvA for you as well! :)
All the best for GT and your new plans. Not quite so many good wishes for TvA :-)
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