2012 Plan So Far

It's Two weeks into the new year so I thought I would try to get off to a good start by putting in my first of every two week post for the season, well that's the plan any way.

For the top tier pro teams their season has already started with the TDU. For the second Pro Conti level teams, for most it's the final weeks of training camp phase with their first races in just a matter of weeks. For the lower third tier Continental teams like the one I work with, it's training camps and preparation time. For some they are half way through this stage, for others it's just starting. The trick to getting a good start to the season is early preparation. Your next season should really start when the current one begins, there is that much planning to do and deals to get signed.

So this year I am back with the Norwegian outfit, known this year as Osterhus-Ridley. So still no top pro team for me this year, but I feel I'm getting closer. Last time I was home I was asked the question which I sometimes ask myself, "when was I going to a big team". Well it's not quite that simple. Positions don't come up that often and it is still even hard when new teams form, because usually some also stop. It is a bit of a case where once your in your in. There is people in the circuit that aren't that great at what they do but still manage to go from one big team to another because they're in the top level circle already. It is all about who you know or with some people how much you talk the talk. I've heard of guys that have been in the game less than me but still manage a big team gig. I sometimes wonder what it will take, but if it means sucking up to someone then I'm happy where I am. With this team I have good equipment, plenty spare materials and a pay rate that I probably take home close to the top pro level anyway.

As always with most continental teams, everything is last minute. At this level it is always hard to secure a good sponsor and eqiupment sponsorship is mostly all swollowed up by the bigger teams. All these negotiations at the top level are done by staff working almost around the clock on the next deal.
The teams plan was that after many months of discussions a big sponsor would sign, and everything could be organised before the year was out, so come January we could get started directly with the season at the teams first training camp in Spain, which started this week. I began to picture building bikes looking out over a Spanish coastline. For this to happen thou deals needed to be signed and sealed well before, and that is something that is always one of the bigger challenges at the Continental level, securing that big deal early.
In December there was still talks on things like what groupset we would use, what wheels we would ride with, and the week before Christmas I was informed of the decision to get bikes with custom team paint schemes done. From there I knew even with a big sponsor or not that I wouldn't be starting work in January.

So despite things not quite going to plan the team moves forward and things now are quickly coming together. Bikes are again obviously Ridley but with a bit of a change. Racing Depot is the distributor for Campagnolo in Norway, so why we rode with Shimano no one really knows. But this year we have made the switch, So I will build all bikes with Campa Record. I briefly worked on it with the Marco Polo team in 2009, but I have not used Campagnolo myself for 10 years, so I'm a little anxious to see how far it has come. Each rider recieves two bikes of either Helium or Noah and then we have four reserve bikes which will be the Excalibur model, one of which will be mine to use during the season. Then they also recieve a Dean TT bike.
Wheels and componets will again be 4ZA, with the addition of their saddles also. Last season was a good test for 4ZA wheels and I liased with them a number of times regarding the deveopment of the wheels, so it's good to have them on board again in 2012. With the whole Shimano thing out we also change pedals to Look.
just half of the Record groups that arrived to me. One thing I can say about Campa is that it's nicely finished, and I'm a fan of the traditional looking chainrings, can't wait to see how it works. One other thing with the Campagnolo is I've had to do something I love doing, purchase some new tools, but more on that later.


As for riders, the team is all young guns, all U23. The new structure on the team should bring some new races, and maybe some good results. The older riders have stopped and the two Swedish are out making it an all Norwegian team.
On the staff front, I will solo on as the mechanic, but Philippe is not with us this season. He has a back problem that would soon see him walking like a crippled man if he kept going the way he was. With that in mind he decided to take a position on another team closer to home with less traveling and less labor intensive work. For him it was the right choice, but as far as his replacement I'm not sure what will happen there, we really need a fulltime soigneur.

So hope you stay tuned for the season ahead.