Five months have passed Mikel Nieve started the project Kern Pharma Team and redirect his sporting life looking for new motivations. Navarrese, who next season will serve as sports director in the ranks of pharmacists, keeps his new role in the structure and explains his goals for next season.
After 15 years as a professional cyclist, you hung up your bike last year. How did you experience 2023? Did you miss anything in particular?
I handled it well, at first I had to change my mentality a bit and adapt, but no big problems. Now it’s time to live differently. If to be honest, I didn’t miss much, it was quite clear to me that I wanted to finish because the motivation is not the same as in other times and being a cyclist is very difficult because of all the sacrifices that come with it, so stop I’m at the right time..
What does it mean to you to share a team again with Juanjo Oroz and Pablo Urtasun after playing together at Euskaltel-Euskadi?
It turned out to be very special and beautiful. It’s nice to meet people you’ve been on a team with, and even more so if you trust them a lot. We see cycling in the same way and although it is different because we now play other aspects, it is a joy to work together again.
What role have you played within the team in recent months?
I’m focused on learning, getting to know the team and knowing how it works. I attended a few races and contributed a little, but it is from next season when I think my experience can get more value.
Does your background as a cyclist help you a lot when planning a race or putting yourself in the shoes of a runner before, during and after stages?
Yes, definitely. Experience helps you a lot to know how the runner feels at all times, of course also knowing the races and anticipating what might happen. I hope I can pass on everything I’ve learned to the cyclists.
What message do you want to convey to everyday cyclists?
Above all, they must be consistent and enjoy being a cyclist, which we sometimes forget. I’ll try to get them to strike a balance between being patient and having fun with what they’re doing to keep that illusion of growth alive. Now things are going very well in the Kern Pharma Team and we will do everything possible to ensure that they can offer their best performance.
What criteria are generally considered when planning each runner’s calendar?
We are doing this these weeks. In the first concentration we will be specific to each cyclist so that they have an idea. It’s about evaluating careers and using each one as soon as we feel we can get the most out of them. It’s complicated because at many times of the year we’ll have a lot of open fronts and we’ll have to pay, but we’ll try to get every runner to compete with a goal that motivates them.
In cycling where training and nutrition are 100% measured and planned. Do you think the mental aspect is sometimes underappreciated?
Definitely yes. Obviously taking care of every detail every day requires a lot of mental effort. The athlete must find a way to enjoy this process and at the same time make it sustainable for him, otherwise it will be very difficult for you to endure the pace of life.
What excites you most about being an athletic director?
My greatest hope is to pass on the experience I have gained throughout my sports career. May they be good and comfortable with me and may we have fun together.
What can we expect from Team Kern Pharma in 2024?
Our goal is to constantly improve thanks to daily work and for the block to maintain its enthusiasm. It’s hard to talk about results at this point, but hopefully we can surpass what we did this year.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
