Cyclingpost.com - Interview: Bjarne Riis

Interview: Bjarne Riis

By Michael Holden
Fri, 26 Jan 2007 13:29:37

ADELAIDE, Jan 26 (CP) - Bjarne Riis was a special guest at this year's Tour Down Under. Due to popular demand, the Team CSC Owner gave a press conference where he gave his thoughts on life with Ivan Basso, doping in cycling and DNA testing.

Bjarne Riis needs very little in the way of an introduction. The 1996 Tour de France winner has, in the space of six years, turned his CSC team into one of the most formidable outfits in the ProTour. This is evidenced by the fact that for the past two seasons Riis' squad has headed the ProTour team rankings.

But season 2006 were rocky times for professional cycling and despite their success, Riis and his team were not immune to the controversies that enveloped the sport. On June 30 last year, Basso was withdrawn from the Tour de France – just two days before its start, due to his alleged involvement in Operacion Puerto.

Of course much water has passed under the bridge since that eventful day in Strasbourg. The investigation into Operacion Puerto continues, and Riis decided it would be in the sponsor's and the team's best interests to let Basso go, who has since moved onto Discovery Channel.

But how is season 2007 shaping up for Team CSC? With Basso's departure, should we expect a year of transition from Riis? Since cutting his ties with Basso, it has pretty much been a case of business as usual for Riis and Team CSC. He has even downplayed the loss of the 2006 Giro winner. "The team is more than one man, even if this man is Ivan Basso. So I don't see a problem with that," was how Riis evaluated the upcoming season. He remains confident that Team CSC will continue to get results. "The team is good, the team is always good. I always bring a good team wherever we race."

Riis' mantra is certainly true. It could be argued that the Tour de France was still a success for Team CSC – despite being two men down with Basso's dumping and losing potential make shift team leader Bobby Julich, through a crash during the time trial in stage 7.

Team CSC still managed two stage victories during the tour through Jens Voigt's win in stage 13 and Fränk Schleck's career-defining triumph on L'Alpe D'Huez. Spaniard Carlos Sastre was also arguably the strongest climber during the third week sojourn into the French Alps whilst getting fourth in the general classification.

Season 2006 definitely backs up Riis' claim that his squad is not a one man team. Last year saw Team CSC win 44 races with 18 different riders, and the team also took four team time trial victories. And with his squad boasting the likes of Sastre, Schleck, Voigt, Paris-Roubaix winner Fabian Cancellara, David Zabriskie and Stuart O"Grady, Riis can expect wins on a regular basis again this year.

So how does Bjarne feel about the past 12 months with the doping scandals, and how confident is he that 2007 will be a better year for the sport?

Riis doesn't like to dwell for too long on the past, "it has been very tough for the sport, it's been very difficult," he admits. Instead he prefers to move forward. "I believe in the future, what we've been through lately is good for the sport actually. But everyone has to work on it. But if everyone doesn't accept that we have to work on it then we have a problem. But if everybody is working in the same direction, then I believe we have a future." That "everybody" includes the "UCI, tour organisations, the riders, the teams."

Riis also appreciates that he learnt much through the ordeal with Basso. "I have had many tough experiences you know, but it has been a tough one, yeah," was how he responded to the question if he felt this was the hardest thing he has ever gone through in cycling. But again, Riis prefers to look to the future. "In the end, coming out on the other side, that is what is important. Coming out on the other side I see light, I see the possibilities. I see good things, I want to focus on the good things, I don't want to on the negative things, because the negative things kill us."

Doping isn't something new to cycling – many see drugs as being synonymous with the sport and feel that it has been plagued for years by it. But with Operacion Puerto coming to light, now is the perfect time for cycling to clean up its act.

How long will it take to clean up the sport? Though he can't put a deadline on when, Riis feels now is the perfect time to make change. "It's a question of looking into it and seeing what we need to do to be on the right way, on the right track, and then doing something about it, not just say it, but do it. Everybody can change, but if we aren't willing to change, going in the same direction, then it's over." Again, Riis sees this as an opportunity for everyone to unite together and clean up the sport.

Team CSC has already taken measures in this regard with independent in-house doping controls. Riis has employed fellow Dane and anti-doping expert Rasmus Damsgaard to oversee the squad throughout this season. Damsgaard’s role will be to monitor all riders by way of out of competition testing.

Many scribes have suggested that DNA testing can help eliminate the drug cheats in the peloton once and for all, but Riis isn't so sure. "I don't think it's the most important thing. I think what we have to focus on is to do something about it. All the teams have to do something about it, doing the right thing, whether it's a doping program, or whatever they want to do, but do something about it. And go in and analyse your team, your riders," was his explanation. He elaborated further, "I don't see that DNA testing would solve all the problems we have in the sport. I don't see that."