New beginnings for British climbing specialist
Charly Wegelius is the ‘pro’s pro’ a man who has never had any trouble getting a contract and who has ridden for some of the best teams the sport has ever seen – Mapei, Liquigas and Lotto. Born in Finland, being English but considering himself ‘European,’ he has ridden for the past two years with a northern team – Lotto – after nine years in Italian squadre.
A late season blighted by illness meant that he didn’t compete in the Giro di Lombardia and is looking forward to his winter break; and an even bigger move than the one to Belgium. He’s going all the way across the Atlantic to ride for aspiring Pro Continental team, UnitedHealthcare presented by Maxxis. It’s a very big change for a rider who has been based in Europe for the entirety of his career.
VeloNation caught up with Charly as he enjoyed some well-earned down time in Finland.
VeloNation: How does it feel to be an ‘old married man’ these days, Charly?
Charly Wegelius: The same as it was before; I just continue to do what I’m told! No, it’s great, I’m enjoying married life.
VN: How many seasons have you had now as a rider?
CW: Next year will be my 12th year – I rode stagiaire with Linda McCartney, then three seasons with Mapei; two with De Nardi; four with Liquigas and two with Lotto.
VN: How was Belgium after all those years in Italia?
CW: It was a good experience; the Italian teams have a certain way of doing things and are slow to change to new ideas. Lotto were more open to innovations, the team was one of the first to have its own chefs on Grand Tours and to collaborate with osteopaths. Marc Sergeant had a bad back during his racing career and embraced the idea.
VN: It’s a big jump from Italy to Belgium to the US…
CW: It’s a new world and I’d be being dishonest if I said I wasn’t going into the unknown – there will be a lot of races I haven’t ridden before. But I’m looking forward to that, boosting my enthusiasm with new people, new races. For years now, I’ve been riding basically the same programme and a change will be good.
It will be completely new on lots of levels. I think it will give me a new lease of life and maybe make me less cynical.
VN: Have you raced much in the US?
CW: I rode the Tour of California with Liquigas in 2007 and I raced in the US with Mapei in 2000 and 2001. I also rode Redlands and the Sea Otter and the 1999 Trans Canada. It’s a culture shock when you go to the States, all those things you see in the movies are right there – it’s entertaining.
The big memory I have of the States was riding a criterium with Liquigas; we were all standing around chatting – as is the norm at the start of a Euro pro race – whilst the US guys were wearing skinsuits and warming up on rollers. We were all laughing at this, but then the race started.
The circuit was maybe 900 metres with 12 or 13 corners and they went off like the clappers. They all pedalled through the corners – you don’t do that in a Euro crit! We took an absolute hiding and were practically all dead last – our DS was going mad at us; for the next crit we were all in skinsuits, on the rollers and in the first row on the start grid.
VN: What will your role be with the new team?
CW: I’ll be doing a lot of mentoring with the young riders but I’ll still be expected to perform.
VN: UnitedHealthcare will be on Boardman bikes…it must be a while since you rode a British bike?
CW: I’m looking forward to riding them. Yes, the last British bike I rode was a Terry Dolan, way back in 1998.
VN: You had a good 2010 Giro…
CW: The spring wasn’t particularly easy for me, I had a few falls but I had a good Giro and came out of it feeling good.
VN: …but a bad Tour…
CW: It was just too much – I was going good half way through April and then in the Giro in May; in June I had to keep in good shape ready for the Tour then in July it was just a downward slope. I was getting my arse kicked and my immune system went down. I picked up a viral infection – I never really got to the bottom of what it was – and my health has been poor ever since. Even now I have a cold.
I need my winter break to let my body get on an even keel – I’ll be off the bike until I feel ready to start. It’s good up here in Finland because you’re disconnected from cycling and it lets your batteries get recharged.
VN: You’ve started eight Giros. What are the biggest changes you’ve witnessed in that time?
CW: Well, despite the arguments between the organisers and the UCI I think that the race has really benefited from the Pro Tour and having all the big teams riding. Back when I started you’d have a lot of small Italian teams riding, now there are only one or two; it’s not so good for those little teams but the race really benefits because you have all the big names riding.
The race has a global audience now, even up here in Finland. It’s not just good for the race, it’s good for Italy because it showcases the countryside.
Another change is that the race is physically much harder now. Back in 2004 when I first rode it, the mountain stages would be 120 K, now they’re 240 K.
Ask Brad Wiggins about how hard the Giro is; I wasn’t the only one to struggle in the Tour after finishing the Giro. It’s not like the old days when you had a ‘head honcho’ who would dictate when the race was ‘on,’ it’s now much more of a free for all.
VN: Will you continue to live in Varese?
CW: I’m not sure; it’s still up in the air.
VN: Let’s talk about your Lotto team mates…Jurgen Van den Broeck – can he win the Tour?
CW: I don’t see why not; not many thought that he couldn’t get fifth – and that was in a Tour that didn’t really suit him. Although, having said that, the jump from fifth place to standing on the podium is a big one.
He needs to improve his time trialling, but not at the expense of his climbing. I think he can get to the podium, yes.
VN: What about Adam Blythe – what is he like?
CW: Helping Adam this season was a really good experience for me; when some young riders join a big team their heads are up their arses, they already think they know it all. You’ll advise them on something and they’ll tell you where to go.
But Adam made the most of me and I hope that the riders at UnitedHealthcare will be the same. I discovered that I enjoyed the experience of helping him and it’s the kind of work that I think I could enjoy in the future. I think that if Adam can be allowed to hold on to his natural instincts like a McEwen or Freire, then there’s no end to what he can win.
But he shouldn’t be put under pressure; he should be left natural, his talent shouldn’t be over-analysed – he should be allowed to enjoy his racing.
VN: At the end of the season, there was no Lombardia for you…why was that?
CW: I did the UCI races in Canada and did OK but then I was sick and again – that’s been typical of things since the Tour. There’s no point in flogging a dead horse – basically my body had a tantrum because I pushed it too hard. We decided that I shouldn’t ride Lombardy just for the sake of it.
VN: Finally, on a different note – in Italy there’s vino and grappa but did you get a taste for beer in Belgium? And what’s the alcohol situation in Finland?
CW: I can’t drink grappa, it’s bloody grim, even in coffee; you either love it or hate it.
Hendrik Redant, the DS at Lotto is a beer connoisseur and he introduced me to the pleasures of Belgian brews – but you can’t beat a pint of English ‘Black Sheep’ beer. In Finland the winter drink is ‘glogg’ it’s like mulled wine – and vodka; sometimes a bit too much of it, though!