Belgian rider hoping for fresh start on home soil after difficult year
Serge Pauwels will always be remembered as the man who had to throw away his place in the two man winning break on stage 15 of the 2009 Giro, being required to go back and help his Cervélo ‘Capo’ Carlos Sastre snuff out a ‘dangerous’ move by Ivan Basso.
By the time Pauwels had sat up and waited, his erstwhile breakaway companion Leonardo Bertagnolli was well on the way to victory, whilst back in the bunch, Basso’s challenge had disappeared in less time than it takes to relate the tale.
After his time at Cervélo Pauwels went to Sky for 2010/11, where he would be the first to admit that the last two seasons haven’t lived up to his expectations.
The 28 year-old from Lier first experienced top line competition with the Rabobank U23 team in 2004/5. He then moved back to Belgium and the Chocolade Jacques team for two seasons before Topsport became title sponsor for 2008.
In 2009 Pauwels took another step up the ladder, joining Cervelo Test Team where he enjoyed an excellent Giro debut; taking three top ten stage placings, including his near miss on stage 15
But for 2012 he goes home to Belgium for a fresh start with Omega Pharma – QuickStep.
He spoke to VeloNation en route the airport and his first get together with his new team.
VeloNation: Are you happy to be ‘going home’ to a Belgian team, Serge?
Serge Pauwels: Yeah, it’s a good move for me – especially after the season I’ve had. I had two bad injuries, I broke my elbow then in my first race back after that injury I crashed again, put my hand down and tore my tricep – it was a bad season.
VN: You started off your pro career with the Rabobank Continental squad – unusual for a Belgian rider…
SP: It is unusual, not a lot of Belgian riders have come through with that team. It was an honour to start my career with Rabobank, it prepared you very well for full professionalism – the structure, bikes, clothing and programme were all very good.
VN: Then you went to Chocolade Jacques…
SP: That was a good experience, my first ride for a Belgian professional team; there was a great family atmosphere within the team.
The friendships I made there – both with riders and staff – I still maintain today, it was also a good team with a solid programme.
VN: And then you moved up again, to Cervelo…
SP: That was a big jump, Carlos Sastre had won the Tour and he was there; and Thor Hushovd too – really big riders.
And there was a big focus on the bikes because the main sponsors were all equipment manufacturers.
It was more international than I was used to as well, but there was a magic within the team from the start. We were winning from the beginning, in Qatar, California and Thor won Het Nieuwsblad.
VN: Then two years with Sky…
SP: Also a big step for me, they have everything covered, I think it’s the most professional team for sure, maybe the bench mark for how a modern team should be run. They try to eliminate as many of the variables as possible.
But my second season was marred by the crashes.
VN: How did the ride with QuickStep come about?
SP: My manager, Paul De Geyter speaks with the teams as the season goes and I knew they were interested – the offer came in August and I didn’t hesitate too much before I accepted!
I wasn’t getting a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ from Sky and I didn’t want to wait, especially with how things are this year – it’s an uncertain time.
There was the risk that if I waited too long on a decision then I might have to go down from ProTour to Pro Continental – I didn’t want that.
But QuickStep is my dream team, Belgian and one of the best – the project with Omega Pharma makes it even nicer.
VN: In Belgium some say that there are now too many foreign riders in the team?
SP: I think to be competitive at World Tour you can’t restrict yourself to one nationality – and there are two Belgian World Tour teams, so not really enough top riders to go around.
There are other factors – for example, in Belgium we don’t really have any time trial specialist. That’s why Patrick Lefevre has recruited Tony Martin.
VN: Have you started to prepare yet for next year?
SP: Yes, I began on November first and right now I’m en route to our first training camp in Almeria, Spain – that’s where we’ll discuss and agree my programme.
My training plan is laid down by the team coach; I’ve been riding the bike three days each week but down in Almeria it’ll be every day.
VN: Do you have any friends in the peloton struggling to get a contract?
SP: Oscar Pujol – who I got to know at Cervélo – hasn’t been retained by Lotto; it’s one thing reading about a rider not getting a contract, but when you know them and the effect it’s having upon their life, it adds a different dimension.
He’s a good rider, but not only that, he’s a nice person – it brings it home to you when you know riders in that position.
VN: What are your views on ‘Mondialisation?’
SP: I think it’s a problem that the sport is too concentrated in Europe – we’re missing opportunities in the rest of the world.
I think we have to change how things are structured; have the teams gain a share of the worldwide TV rights, like in football. That would take away the sole dependence on big budget sponsors who can pull out without warning.
If the sport is to go larger then it’s a necessary step to ride in Asia, the Americas and Australasia.
VN: And the UCI points system?
SP: For a rider like me who has a bad season due to injury and doesn’t get points then it’s not a good system. You become the second choice; the team must first get riders with points – the key players – and then ‘fill in’ behind them.
I was lucky – but I’m afraid I don’t have a solution to the problem.
VN: What will make 2012 a good year for you?
SP: It’s really important for me to get back in to a Grand Tour and repeat my good performance in the 2009 Giro…I want to do that and then we can carry on from there.