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17th February 2020
Adria Mobil Cycling: Towards victories with more cyclists
Continental team Adria Mobil will race Tour of Antalya later this week and thus officially start 2020 race season. Before the trip to Turkey the whole team gathered at Adria Mobil headquarters in Novo mesto for the official presentation.
2019 season was one of the most successful in the club’s history, not just with domination on the domestic races, but also with great success on the international scene. Everybody in the team is looking for another as good or even better season, and the recipe for success is once again a mix of experience and youth. Team riders are more or less known from the last season: Janez BrajkoviÄ, Žiga Horvat, Aljaž Jarc, Gašper Katrašnik, Marko Kump, Aljaž Omrzel, David Per, Gorazd Per & Radoslav Rogina; newbie on the continental team is Boštjan Murn. Sports director is Branko Filip.
First to take the stage on the presentation was the club president Mojca Novak: “I’m very satisfied with the 2019 season, and my satisfaction is based on the great results. We took 12 victories and additional 30 podium finishes on 24 UCI races. All of this just with the elite team, in total we have 65 cyclists in all age groups and in total we raced on 73 events and took 83 victories. We’re leaving a mark, not just from the identity standpoint, but also from the view of the youth development and organization of the events; Tour of Slovenia for sure stands out as one of the biggest sports events in the country.
I believe in the future of cycling, not just as a sport, but also as a way of sustainable and eco-friendly way of transport. We’re also extremely proud on the new track in Novo mesto – this is the facility that will help us develop future champions and maybe they will one day bring Olympic glory back to our town.” |
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Team had absolute domination on the domestic races in the last season, thanks to Marko Kump who won all four Slovenian UCI races. Marko also has high ambitions in the new season: “I will for sure try to defend titles on the Slovenian races, but I will be as happy if any of my teammates win. Of course we want to add something to this success and race the season on even higher level.”
Jani BrajkoviÄ, one of the most successful Slovenian cyclists of all times, is back on the team, but this time with slightly different role. Jani explains: “I have my personal goals and plans, but at the same time I believe that I can help the team. Younger riders can learn from me – I don’t know everything, but I am one of a few that knows what not to do and with this I can help a lot.
In the past I was more of a background person, but that changed a lot in the last two years and I look differently at things. I’m not afraid to take responsibility and do what it needs to be done, I’m not afraid to take responsibility for defeat or things that didn’t went as planned.”
Radoslav Rogina is still very youthful at 41, but after nine full years in the Adria Mobil jersey he said that this really is his last season. But right after that he added: “… but you never really know.” |
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Team didn’t change much, but the team’s racing strategy did. Team management is aiming on the bigger number of winners inside its ranks. Sports director Branko Filip explains the plan and also gives the name of another rider: “Two riders took all victories in the previous season, this year we’ll try to do more with more cyclists. Marko will focus at the biggest races, other cyclists will get their shot on the others. Everybody needs a winning mentality and they will develop that if they will have a chance. Young riders also have high expectations in the national U23 team, which is why they have to race like this inside the team.
We have ten strong cyclists, but we’ll take one more in the middle of the season. Kristjan HoÄevar was with us as a junior, then he went to race with team Meblo Jobi for a while; this summer he’ll come back to Adria Mobil.”
Team will start the season in Turkey, after that it will come back home and race in Croatian and Slovenian Istria and on the Grand Prix Adria Mobil. Races in France, Bosnia, Hungary and Austria will follow, all ahead of the Tour of Slovenia (10-14 June). Team will race all around Europe in the second part of the season, many riders also aim for the both European and World Championships.
Cycling fans will also want to hear that the team continues to race on the Specialized Tarmacbikes, equipped with gear from Campagnolo, Vredestein and Selle Italia. Sports director & mechanics will follow the rider in the Fiat vehicles.
Sonja Gole, general manager of Adria Mobil, has again expressed the support of the one of the most successful Slovenian companies: “I listened to the riders with great enthusiasm. First of all – they realized that we’re a team and you can only succeed with the teamwork. It’s important that they know that at the early stages of they career. We write success stories together, not alone. Secondly, they want to win. And if we don’t win, we give our best. When we first gave our support to the team 15 years ago we demanded team spirit and numerousness and this is why we continue to pledge our support.”
“Combination of experience and youth proved successful in the past, now we also have higher motivation among the young riders. I’m sure you will hear a lot about the team success in the near future,” added Bogdan Fink, director of the Cycling club Adria Mobil.
PR Adria Mobil Cycling
Photography: Vid Ponikvar/Sportida.com |
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