Written by Bywater CT at 11:46 31/1-2011
Precisely a season ago, on S14 D30, Bywater CT, at that time Division G team, went to Greece to race Preveza Criterium. Martinez Mezo, winner of that race, the only rider who was in the team since then till today, was interviewed about the story of this season.
Q: Martinez, a season ago you was the captain of young D7 team, that was just about to start serious competing. What did you think about future then?
M: I felt a lot of opportunities. I spent over 3 seasons in Torreira, a team ranked usually at the border of Top and Zyte Division. Of course I was there mostly to help better climbers, I had only one personal achievement during this contract, 9th place in Werne-Solingen race. My new team was a lot lower in the ranking and I was expected to perform on my own, getting help from other riders. This worked surprisingly well, in my four D7 races I won twice, came 3rd and 4th in two others - faster than anyone expected the team was up in D6.
Q: Ho was it there?
M: Harder. No more absolutely beginning teams, no more loads of races so that you could choose one suiting you every other day. But the team also improved. Frederik Kacprzak, great Polish rider, winner of CoN Sydney race, signed a short contract. Sometimes we rode together, sometimes not, during next month we moved the team to D4. For me the most memorable race of that time is Kingston-Black hill, that took place in Jamaica. I felt great that day, despite the road not fitting me on paper I came 5th, the best from our team, as Frederik had a bad day and was only 8th. I fell in love with the island and I already have a house there where I plan to move when I retire - see, sun and women, that would be great.
Q: Division D already seemed a good result, what made the team push higher?
M: Definitely it was Kasper Czechowski. Signing him costed $ 340 000, which is (and will probably remain for quite a lot of time) the highest transfer fee in team's history. His cycling life is concentrated around one aim: Volta ao Porto. He always though this race fits him perfectly, he knew the route by heart, mountains around Porto were his favourite place for training. Just after he came to the team, he managed to convince everyone that he can win the Volta. But to win the race you need to sign up first. So we needed to perform really well during next month.
Q: What did you think about this plan?
M: I liked it. I also like the Volta (and generally riding tours), I was a part of team working for Yasir Sahir's win there in season 12. The plan seemed hard, but possible, especially with signing of Morgan Arendse, a South African time trialler. We were racing a lot, we were tired, I even got injured once, but points were coming in and every day we were closer to our aim. Near the end of season 14 another big name joined the squad - Riyad Hashim, Iraqi sprinter. The team was becoming more and more high level one, I was back to my role in Torreira - a team mate helping the captain - and I was not alone in this, as young Australian Zack Davie joined the team. Finally, we succeeded. Just a day before the deadline we were safe in Zyte Division. And at the same day Heath Deckard, another young climber, joined to make the Volta team complete.
Q: Volta ao Porto was a great success.
M: Indeed, a bigger than anyone in the team expected. Kasper was in perfect form, winning 3 stages, placing high in nearly every one, winning GC with an enormous gap over anyone else and coming second in SC, losing only to Riyad, so that jersey went to the team as well. Morgan also performed well, his form was at the top level, so he got great results both in Volta and in some other races he did on that time. This sent us, quite unexpectedly, into upper regions of Top Division and threatened the plan of next season's Volta participation - to do this, we'd need to almost stop performing for the rest of the season and then team's fans (868 people at the moment, so a force to be respected) would kill us if we tried. So we decided to compete where we are and have a go at Perm Tour and Germany Tour instead. We already had our first Top Division result, the team is becoming stronger with Zack Davie and Heath Deckard training and Hynek Matys signed, so I hope we can become at least a permanent Top 30 OCM Tour team.
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Comments
The harder part starts now. I will say the strategy paid off is this time next season I'm in Top 30 (or at least in Top Division) :)
Congratz, Top 15! looks like your strategy paid off.
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