EVALDAS ŠIŠKEVIČIUS
The Lithuanian pro on almost an entire career spent at the same team
I live in the south of France.
It’s good here - always good weather, and I enjoy the training. I have been in Marseille since 2008, so it has already been 13 years, which is quite a long time, even though it doesn’t feel that long. I was with my national team, and one of my fellow riders proposed me as a candidate for the team that was then called La Pomme Marseille, and I got an invitation to come.
The team has changed a lot from when I started.
I have only missed out one step with this team, which is to go to the WorldTour with it. When I came in 2008, it was one of the best teams in the amateur ranks, then we went to Continental level and then ProConti. I have seen how the the team has grown up, and now there is a big, big difference from the start. You can not even compare. It was a good team, but now it is completely different: the staff, the equipment, we even have two buses now. Now, in each race that we do, we have a mission. Something to do. We get asked for a lot more results too, because we have had a lot of investment from the sponsors.
It was an incredible day when I finished ninth in Roubaix, one of the most beautiful days in my career.
It was a day in which everything went well - I had no punctures, no problems. I had super legs, I made good tactical choices, everything went really well and I really enjoyed it. I have a real history with Paris-Roubaix. The race has given me a lot. It is cool that I can participate in the legend of Roubaix.
The year before, my team manager said to me that Roubaix has a history and you need to respect the history of the race.
It’s important. A lot of riders have done this race before, and that’s why I rode to the finish outside the time limit, to respect the race. I just wanted to go to the finish, I cannot explain why or what was happening in my head. Even my wife told me that she didn’t know why I did that. I guess I just got the idea in my head.
We had a good group for cycling in Lithuania, a lot of coaches, but now it is a bit more complicated.
We used to do a lot of races with the national team, and we were getting a lot of money from the government, and so we had a lot of riders. At one time, we were one of the best countries in the world. But now we have more difficulties with this, and we have fewer and fewer professionals. On the other hand, we do have a lot more people riding for pleasure now. Cycling is much more popular than it was before. There are only two male professionals now, me and Ignatas Konovalovas. There used to be seven or even more.
It was down to my own decisions that I have not made it to the WorldTour.
I have missed some possibilities, especially when we became professional and I was getting some results. I was getting liberty here to go for my own results and I was a road captain here. I was enjoying this role. This is why I haven’t moved. Now we will see, because I am at the end of my contract, and the situation is complicated everywhere. I would like to try the WorldTour, but you need to consider everything, and it’s complicated. I’ve lived in Marseille, since I was 18, so you cannot just pack your luggage up and then move.
I like Paris-Nice, Paris-Roubaix, Tro-Bro Léon, and Paris-Tours.
I enjoy these races every time. These are the races where I perform, and where I feel like I can do something. These are the kind of races where you really need endurance and to make good decisions at special moments, and this is what I like. Maybe I am not such a strong or explosive rider, but I think what I can do is make good decisions and do things at the right moment.
I was really proud to finally get the national title last year.
Each year, I have one or two big results. It is not often I can get a result, but when I do it, it is a big one. I always enjoy this, I know what I can do with my hard work. So when I achieve something I really enjoy it.