At a month and a half in 2020, Team NTT reached to retrieve almost as many victories as in the calendar year before. Six in 2020, seven in the whole of 2019.
But even though the south african team has got a flying start to the decade with her Danish flair, consisting of, among other things, Bjarne Riis, Lars Michaelsen and Lars Bak, it’s not quite the same dance on roses for Riis & co. ago corona-the crisis has parked the sport the world over.
last week, Team Virtus group of owners consisting of Bjarne Riis and rigmændene Lars Seier Christensen and Jan Bech Andersen to the enterprise shuts down, and suddenly Was gone from to be a sporting manager on a storvindende cycling team and a part of the Team Virtu to be looking at a paralyzed World Tour-crew.
“It is not my impression that the corona-the crisis, they have big influences so far, even though the riders and Bjarne (Riis, ed.) of course, like going out to run some sprints. Especially now that we had come so well from the start,” writes Lars Seier Christensen in a text message to the B. T.
Riis, Seier and Jan Bech Andersen bought into Team NTT via Team Virtu, which is now shut down, but it will have no impact on the course with NTT, ” says Lars Seier Christensen.
“so far the relationship to the NTT are still in the Virtu-level, but we must at one time have put the above in the new company, as we close the Virtu down in good order. It is the most technique.”
Lars Michaelsen is the lead singer of Team NTT, and started already on the team in the fall of 2019, before Bjarne Riis and Team Virtu bought into the team.
He does not believe the team is just as hard hit as some of the other World Tour teams – as for example, the CCC Pro Team – where the staff has gone down in wages.
at the same time the roses he holdboss Douglas Ryder for a great job with keeping in contact with partners and sponsors, so as to avoid ‘bad experiences or surprises.’
But there is a practice. A large sporting practice on a team that had finally turned a negative trend into something positive.
Spring is the high season for all cykelelskere with brostensklassikere and storløb as Flanders Around or Paris-Roubaix. Races that mean something special for Lars Michaelsen, but all of which are deferred indefinitely.
“I can give you right in that it is practice. Brostensklassikerne have a big place in my heart,” he says, pointing to several of the team’s riders had to show up now as for example the rebels Giacomo Nizzolo.
“He is an example of one of the riders who could surprise in one of those races. Michael Valgren is a second. He had timed his form to peake now. We had some of our better cards, which would come in the character. Therefore, it is of course a pity. In relation to the momentum we had started at the beginning of the season.”
Moreover, stands the riders in an unfamiliar situation. To train up to something indeterminate and ungraspable, that you don’t know, when is, as it is unknown when that can be run cycling again.
“the Riders coach to go against something they do not know where is. It is just frustrating in itself.”
“Without mentioning any names, are there any, there has been little in the kulkælderen. Others take it from the top down, and say that cycling is their job. So you can also find reactions that are more reminiscent of the Danish mentality to think of those who have it worse than yourself.”
When cykelsæsonen at a time gentoptages again, there will also be no doubt about which race who can really run. For a lot of running, as usual, is early in the year will probably pushed to be later in the season. If they are running.
“We’re just as excited as all the others in the relationship to see how to get it there solitaire to go up with the Tour de France, Vuelta a España, the Giro d’italia and all the other races that must be run,” says Lars Michaelsen.
B. T. have both tried to get a comment from Bjarne Riis and Douglas Ryder, but they are not turned back at B. T.’s enquiries.
