KÉVIN RÉZA
B&B HOTELS P/B KTM
Some years, it’s happy days right from the start. From day one, the team is efficient, the machine works as it should and success follows success. Everything is on an ascending spiral. Then there are years, like this one at B&B Hotels p/ b KTM, seasons where success eludes us.
Our leader, Bryan Coquard, kicked off the year with third at GP La Marseillaise. We thought the first winner’s bouquet of the year would be a formality. But the races came and went without Bryan or any other of the Men in Glaz raising their arms. It’s not a question of our physical condition or performance. The level here has never been so consistent and our collective strength so high.
Don’t get me wrong. We’re performing well and we’re able to execute bold strategies, which are built on our very good physical level and desire. But there is just one small part missing, the part that puts you over the line first, not in the top three, five or 10.
I’ve been in teams, including this one but also with FDJ and Europcar, where we have won early. But there isn’t any panic this year. If we were getting dropped or finishing well down, there would be cause for concern. But that is not the case. We know that hard work pays off and are confident that the situation will resolve itself.
The key is not to be greedy, and never to underestimate our rivals. Right now, every race is at a very high level. That means it’s important to not get carried away in our own racing. Since our successful debut at the Tour last year, we have gained confidence and are trying to put pressure on the rest of the peloton. It’s good to feel that we are having at least a small influence on the races, and that always means once the finish line is crossed, we have no regrets. But the one thing we are lacking is also the holy grail: victory.
The key is to keep racing as well as we can and to take into account what is changing in the peloton and is different from previous seasons, like the fearless young riders: real killers. Racing is evolving. The protagonists change, and so do the racing patterns. Bryan has not lost his confidence and he is doing his best, but it’s the little things that mean he misses out. He’s not going to settle for podium finishes or top 10s. That’s not his place. Only victory interests him - he’s like a striker in football.
Bryan is not the only Man in Glaz who can win. In Turkey my job was to look after our young sprinter Luca Mozzato, who I’m getting to know this year. It hasn’t gone brilliantly, but we are still finetuning. I’m learning about how he operates, how he positions himself and how he likes to go into the sprint. There were things we could have done better to get him in a position to compete with Cavendish and Philipsen. I made a few mistakes myself, but we were open about it all. Luca is young enough to still say the wrong thing sometimes. He got closer and closer to a top five, and that’s encouraging because he’s still only 21. He’ll grow up. He’s the kind of rider who will do well at the grand tours. But there’s no rush - we’ll continue to trust each other. And if we win at the Dauphiné or the Tour, any frustration we’ve had at the start of the year will be quickly forgotten.
It’s good to feel that we are having at least a small influence on the races. But the one thing we are lacking is the holy grail: victory
Iam happy with my riding during the spring, and equally inspired by my team’s performance. I finally felt some of my old self returning, and more importantly a new sense of ‘relevance’ in the race. The team has executed processes with increased enthusiasm, and we are more confident now to see it pay off in a big win.
Unfortunately for my own ego, most of what I’m satisfied with happened before the live TV coverage started. At Strade Bianche and Liège-BastogneLiège, I was in a strong break with most of the WorldTeams represented. At LBL, part of my role was be in the break at all costs, which inspired me to attack on the longest climb of the day. I forged a small gap and then had a group bridge to join me. We cooperated well, except Liv Racing had missed the boat and didn’t let the gap become a threat. I was super stoked to have established a breakaway, despite its doomed outcome, to fly the FDJ flag at the front of the race.
The live coverage started just after the break was caught in both races. Once the cameras switched on at LBL, another rider attacked. I tried to follow but that acceleration in me was gone. The rest of the race I yo-yoed on and off the main group over the other climbs, still doing what I could for our leader while she still had a chance at victory.
It’s a pretty self-indulgent complaint, and given that the race final was very exciting, I am not miffed that I didn’t get my five seconds of fame. I am miffed that some of the feedback I receive from self proclaimed ‘fans’ of women’s cycling is that there is ‘never a breakaway’, or ‘not enough action’. Well, a majority of the time, there is action and aggressive racing from when the flag drops. Like starting a book halfway through, or beginning a series mid-season - still entertaining, but you don’t get the whole story.
This year, there have been many races that have had live TV for most if not all of the race. The outcome has been increased viewership - a feelgood stat, but to me it’s obvious. Of course there are increased viewers if the race is actually there to be viewed. It’s affirming to hear the positive feedback from fans when they do get to see the whole race.
I want to show the world, the sponsors and staff, that every ounce of confidence they put into us as athletes rewards them with our equal duty of being entertainers.
I’m optimistic that the demand for bike races that feature women will continue to rise, and continue to be met.
In the meantime, I will be back training hard to get deeper into the races. After a week off, a renewed focus and some other big races on the horizon, maybe you will see me in the break again!