Final week I used to be fortunate sufficient to be invited to the winter coaching camp of UAE Crew Emirates, ostensibly for the launch of the new Colnago V4Rs and to jot down a first journey evaluate of it, having bombed across the hills behind the Costa Blanca being consistently overtaken by WorldTour professionals. The group additionally placed on a media day, the place journalists may ask riders about their ambitions for the upcoming season, how they had been settling in on the new group.
I made a decision to not stick round throughout the rider interviews, and as a substitute, because the solar dipped under the horizon, I wandered up the street a number of hundred metres to the doorway of an underground automobile park that the group had taken over to create a makeshift service course. Right here I used to be fortunate sufficient to shoot Pogačar’s bike for the upcoming season, however whereas I used to be there I additionally took some snaps of the service course itself and chatted to Pogačar’s mechanic, Boštjan Kavčnik, concerning the new group bikes, what they’re prefer to work on, and who’re the choosy riders within the bunch.
WJ: Hello Boštjan, should you may introduce your self please that’d be nice.
BK: Hello, I am Boštjan Kavčnik, mechanic at UAE.
WJ: And are you Pogačar’s private mechanic, or do you’re employed with the opposite riders as nicely?
BK: All the mechanics work for him [and all the other riders]. I’m coming from Slovenia, from Pogačar’s first group, and I did all of the bikes for his group when he first began. He requested me if I would go along with him to UAE.
WJ: A straightforward alternative?
BK: Ha, sure. I then had a chat with my spouse first to discover a resolution and now I’m right here for my second yr.
Tadej is just not difficult. He’s a simple man to work with.
WJ: Final yr clearly you had Campagnolo for the groupset and wheels, so has there been lots of challenges swapping to new components; has there been something significantly tough?
BK: After all. We’ve all new handlebars, wheelsets, and all the tools is now Shimano. It is simply the saddle and frameset is identical actually, however the V4Rs. We are going to see how it’s tomorrow: We’ve two rides with the riders and the brand new tools, however for now, it is good. It is wanting good.
WJ: Do you prefer it extra?
BK: For now, when it is working, it is good for the mechanics.
WJ: Is something simpler concerning the bike, contemplating the brand new fork design?
BK: It’s simpler now to construct the bikes. Shimano would not have cables on the shifters and for us, that is simpler. The brakes are regular although in comparison with Campagnolo.
We alter [the headsets] after two months of racing.
WJ: The brand new bike presentation made an enormous deal concerning the CeramicSpeed headset longevity. How typically are you altering the headsets?
BK: We’d like one hour to alter the headsets. We do have CeramicSpeed on name although. They are saying “In case you have an issue simply name us” however that is only for the bearings. We alter after two months of racing. We’ve lots of work with [setting the new bikes up], however now it is over.
WJ: You have been busy?
BK: We’ve 13 riders, all riders have three bikes, plus two TT bikes and different bikes at residence. Lots of work!
WJ: So who’s the pickiest rider then?
BK: Off-record solely!
WJ: I will not inform anybody… Properly, we are going to. They’re all excellent?
BK: With some riders, we’ve at all times issues with saddle angle and saddle peak, however Tadej is just not difficult. He’s a simple man to work with.
WJ: What’s your favorite factor concerning the new bike to work on then?
BK: The favorite is the brand new color. Tadej tells us the bike is quicker after the nook. After the nook is when he pushes the pedals and it is quicker popping out. For me, it is the color.
WJ: So you will get grease on it and no one will see?
BK: Ha! No, I do not know. We alter the ability meter additionally. Final yr we had lots of issues with the computer systems. Now we’ve to see the brand new computer systems [Wahoo Elemnt] and the way they work.
