A Mistery Monastery
When drafting my first «corner» in 2021 I am sitting on the chartered flight from Widerøe on our way to the team camp in Mallorca, Spain. It has been a lot detailed planning, but we have decided to give it a go. 35 riders (both our teams) + staff are up in the air. We will stay at the top of the Puig Randa (Santuari de Cuba) completely isolated in the *mist for the next three weeks. The risks can never be eliminated, but they can certainly be reduced. We are separated into smaller groups, we have our own flight and the hotel will have no other guests. Health is our priority number 1.
Uno-X has a robust business model in Denmark and Norway. I am proud to be a part of it. We have owners with a long-term perspective and they trust us. Trust is something you need to earn and as said many times before - cycling is an integrated part of the Uno-X business model. A model that currently works very well, both from an operational and financial perspective.
We start 2021 with realistic ambitions. Uno-X Pro Cycling Team plans to start the season with the Mallorca Challenge right after our camp. The Uno-X DARE Development Team will start in Olympia’s Tour in early March. All dependent upon the Covid-19 situation. We have raised the bar for our race program. We do not race with a French, Italian or Spanish team license, but we hope do get the races we deserve. If not, we will just try harder. We will get what we deserve.
Running a cycling team is not a game of paychecks. At least not for us. Management, mechanics, carers, the coaching team (physical, mental, nutrition++), equipment and long-term partners are all important parts of the puzzle.
Culture cannot be defined by a notebook, it is how we behave. We are owned by REITAN and it comes with an obligation. An obligation to be different, to be caring, to act optimistic and most importantly, to have fun. I am not saying we don’t pay people what they deserve, I am just saying that it is a lot harder for our competitors to copy our identity than our economy. In 2021 our total rider wages are below 1 MEUR.
Riders leaving us will be a part of the game. It is within our eco-system. We will always support them when they leave. Because «what comes around, goes around». I have said goodbye to both Tobias and Andreas the last two years. Uno-X is immensely proud to have riders being picked up by Jumbo-Visma and DSM. We have new ones coming up and we are engaged in this with a long-term perspective. Plus, you never know what happens in the future…
2021 - lets ride on!