The brain of Uae team, The man who managed to create the team with whom he dreamed for years BRAND in the previous of the Volta to Catalonia. Cycling and life are synonyms for a Joxean Fernández Matxin on the crest of the wave.
What balance does what they have been carrying about? What note do they put?
The balance is positive. I am optimistic. At the moment I am satisfied. You can never give a 10 because it can always be improved. I think it is remarkable high, but the notes are given at the end of the course. You have to be prudent.
I think this beginning is highly remarkable, but the notes are given at the end of the course
Matxin a brand
What flavor has they left the Milan-San Remo?
In the team we have a DNA. Tadej is the best exponent of that attacker and nonconformist DNA. We do not run on defensive. Sometimes it gives us many satisfactions and on Saturday there was a lot of show, but the final exam is that we were third. And that is not pleasant.
The Dutch adds his seventh monument in an exercise of cold blood and power after enduring all the brutal movements of the world champion in the Cipressa and the Poggio
Did they fail at any time? Could they do something else? Can any but?
Instead of putting ‘Peros’, we must reward the excellent race that Van der Poel did. When you have such a opponent, you don’t have to think that someone has done something wrong, but has done well. It was impossible to beat him. Tadej was as strong as he, but Mathieu was faster. It is a merit for its part. It was exceptional.
The Dutch corridor showed his pause in key moments like this where Tadej tried to release him during the Milan San Remo finally conquered by Alpecin’s.
But wasn’t he mistaken to give space in the final sprint?
Both, both Ganna and Tadej, wanted to anticipate, but in the end it was Van der Poel. It was exceptional not only in its execution, but in its completion. Given the evidence of someone so perfect at work you can only applaud. Tadej and the team made it perfect. We had a plan A and a plan B. We had to pull Plan B. The idea is that Wellens and the bull were there. That he put himself to Rueda Narváez and marked that attack, but a career at the foot of the Cipressa, impossible to foresee it, caused that Del Toro could not do it. Plan B was that if Wellens or the bull could not do it, it was Narváez who anticipates that work. If I tell you the truth I am tremendously proud and I do not say it because it looks good or because this is a means as important as it marks, I say it because runners that can do between top 10 without any problem have that conviction, attitude and happiness of believing in a plan, in a cyclist and in an attitude it is above the result. Although the result is the way of measuring things. And the measurement says that we were third parties.
Some already say that it will be the 30 best kilometers of the season, do they feel it that way? Do you think they have made history?
You have the feeling even when you propose the plan. We have spoken many things with Tadej on this subject. We make a plan and it is specific. I send them even before. I understand cyclists that when they are at home or training they can be thinking if they are going to have their chance. We have told everyone since October what will be their calendar, what will be their sports planning and what we want from each in each race. We tell you to prepare, for example to Wellens or Narváez, the classics and then other races are to Pogacar. They know their function and they are clear. That is something very important for them and their stability.
We have told everyone since October what will be their calendar, what will be their sports planning and what we want from each in each race
Matxin a brand
Speaking of cracks, isn’t it difficult to manage so much ego? It seems difficult to content everyone.
Upside down, much easier. It was difficult when I was in the Footon Servetto and had none to dispute the race. That was difficult. Having so many is a blessing.
But everyone understands everything they transfer them?
Yes. It is clear that there are moments of tension. But there is tension having one or zero. There is tension in the race because there is tension. But, of course, if you know what you expect and what is not easier. If things do not go out we focus on winning the following. I am aware of everything, also of the Z gene in Italy (finally won this Sunday) and now in Catalonia.
Speaking of the Z gene won Pericas, from there Torres came out and is Freire.
Pericas is a corridor in which I believe a lot. There are runners that grow faster. Others need an adaptation process such as Marcos (Freire). But you have to measure the time and space they need to try to transfer the word pressure as confidence.
The Adrià Pericas Catalan corridor of the Z Gen, a subsidiary of the UAE, took its first professional in the Isrtrian Spring Tour this Saturday. There, in Croatia, the Spanish crack fueled its first success with the UAE jersey.
Torres said in brand that with the numbers he made in Porvenir here, in the Wordl Tour, does not give him for the top 30. Better patience than going with haste?
I think everything has its process. Do not generalize what happens in a cyclist or a race. Paul has a spectacular improvement margin and will improve a lot. They ask me if I believe in their future and I say it is present.
The Spanish corridor of the UAE Team explains in brand the ideal team of the runners who like the most. There are two from ‘his’ UAE: Pogacar and Ayuso.
Present is also ayuso. Have you been above expected?
We have tried to change the protocol with more gym and preparation to adapt what was missing and needed. Sometimes it occurs in the key and sometimes we approach. It has been improved. The team in general and he in particular and his surroundings I think has been improved. The trainers, recuperators, Víctor, Paco the masseuse … We are all supporting. We believe a lot in him. It has changed even at the level of thanks. That is seen by the classmates and the team looks. It is maturing in all aspects and sees the importance of having an ideal and solid environment to grow every day.
How did the waters calm down in 2024 after what happened on the Tour? There was much runrun with a possible exit and even he recognizes some contacts.
It was easy. I went to Alicante in the Tour of Spain and talked to him. We ate together. We talked things, we hugged each other and we told ourselves everything we said to say: good things, the bad, the best and worse. We get a mutual benefit from all this. When you really love someone as a person you show it.
Do you feel it a bit like a ‘creation’ of yours?
Cyclists are never a creation of mine. I can feel participate in its result or evolution, to put it in some way. I am more than the part of being in bad times: being on the injury that of the Achilles tendon … there is a lot of love and human part in this team. Sometimes you have to give differential treatment with someone because it is having a bad time. For good times nothing is needed, there is the photo. But in the bad you have to be.
Sometimes you have to give differential treatment with someone because it is having a bad time
Matxin a brand
It always looks at that human side.
I like to analyze everything they speak. I study and value your interviews. Juan has improved in everything. That is a field in which he has unconsciously improved because he has improved in everything. I do not say that before it was bad, it is now much better. Before it was good and now it is becoming exceptional. You realize that how much are 10 runners and 3 are the team value the attitude of your classmates who leave everything for you. That feeling and that thanks to Del Toro in Tyrrhen to Arrieta in Laigiglia, that is important. His results speak of him, but his statements as well. He really puts much more than the rest, but the rest are also important so that all this base has its foundation.
He has great self -confidence.
He has a very correct mentality for his age. Very correct for this sport. Things can go wrong or not, but I guarantee that it is not because everything has done so that things go well. That knowledge gives you the assurance that you have done everything to do it well.
Whenever things have gone wrong there was an external factor, such as diseases or covid. Do you think it can fall when the result does not arrive for no apparent reason?
I am not a futurologist or fortune teller to know what happens. We must be aware of what we can control and what we can do now, not what may happen next. We are going to focus on what happens is positive. We know how to do it and we have that experience. We have a very important team worldwide. We have great cyclists and participation in the turn will be chord. We are going to think about doing things well but knowing that there are important rivals and that those rivals will be there. But we also ask for respect for us.
Are they going to try to block Roglic or will they be more offensive?
I think this team’s DNA is clear. Tell me a career that we have gone to tie.
Will there be two leaders? Or Ayuso has earned being the unique leader ahead of Yates after this great beginning?
I have spoken this a lot with Juan. We have made a calendar where two important races are going to run together. The calendar is for that, to run Tyrrhenian, Volta and Giro. He has currently shown that Juan is in a better way. Adam is a very honest person. You don’t have to explain things. With Juan I have spoken a lot about this issue and I have told him that he can ask Adam, but it must be reciprocal in terms of attitude. You have to talk about things. There are times where we will have to be combative and others in those who least for the circumstances, for the ‘feeling’, because one is not well or another yes. We will have to look for the perfect formula to function.
With Juan I have talked about this issue and I have told him that he can ask Adam, but it must be reciprocal in terms of attitude
Matxin a brand
Mcewen said in Marca that Ayuso has to leave UAE to grow, Purito said he would have thought about it before signing seeing the cracks here. Does such comments angry?
I had not heard it. But they are opinions as they can have, with all respect, any fan. There are opinions, but the facts are what they are. He has a long -term contract and we do a job with him thinking in the long term.
Even in the long term, are they going to renew soon?
I would like him to be here for life. Because it is a talent to rage. It has a nonconformist character, it has combative DNA. If it were for me, here I would be a lifetime.
Pogacar again. The official announcement will be done by the team but does the result of San Remo condition its possible presence in Roubaix? The rumor was that, if he won in Italy, he would be in France.
It has nothing to do. There is no change of plans. The team will announce. The communication team will tell you. I am in favor of saying the calendar openly. But, obviously, in many cases we must establish certain parameters that vary some decisions.
But in Lavuelta it has also passed. There is no official confirmation why does this secrecy?
There is no secret. It is clear that, as happened another year, and I disliked me for sink, he found himself very tired and decided not to run it because it was premature and was 23 years old. Sometimes you try to be prudent and you don’t want to make the same mistakes. It is not this case because he already made two greats last year and it is the perfect time to make two great turns. The same as with Juan who, despite being at a great level, we consider that this year should not make two great laps. Last year they asked me why did not Tadej the triplet to win too The return. But we were with an important obsession to win tour and world. And the first year that two laps cannot do three. Having turned the turn in 2025 had made four big in one year. I would have gone from doing one to four in one year. You have to be consistent with the approaches and think about the future.
Despite being at a great level, we consider that Juan this year should not make two great turns
Matxin a brand
Why so much obsession with the World Cup?
Now he knows what the rainbow is dressing. Go in the platoon and be different. I think that the world champion jersey was a test that, after the palmraés it has and the quality of cyclist, the fact of having a jersey was like a kind of sponge, attraction or magnet. I did not understand that Tadej was not distinguished with a jersey as significant as that of the world champion.
That hunger is also generating some criticism, such as that of the UAE past when he was recriminated to have attacked in a flat stage like Dubai’s.
Possibly he was wrong. But what do we do? Do we punish you for wanting to have fun, for attacking and then staying? It became a bit funny situation, in quotes. It was not made to bother. They stopped to piss, they arrived, left alone, threw … It was an anecdote like any other. Sometimes some things are given importance … It is like when you are pessimistic and you think 100 things of which you know that 90 are not going to happen. Well this is the same. It is a circumstance that we later laughed because it was then a career situation. If someone could bother we repeated that there was no intention to bother anyone.
The Spanish director of the UAE Team confirmed to Marca what happened in Emirates. There was no bad intention.
But what do we do? Do we punish you for wanting to have fun, for attacking and then staying?
Matxin about what happened with Pogacar at the UAE Tour
Every time it attacks further, a new thing is invented … that will end. It is impossible to always renew. History respects a lot.
They are individualized circumstances. For example, in the World Cup it did not attacked in the absence of 100 kilometers. He was aware that it is a different race because there are no such strong teams. The selections are not as organized as the teams and is a craziest race. You had to be escaped so you don’t have to chase. At the time there was an important leak with important runners, logical was starting to enter the escape. I thought that at the start of 10 other important runners, but the situation occurred. As he had a partner ahead (Treneik) in the end he did the job and went out as it came out. But it was not an expected attack. Nor was the attack in Strade Bianche last year. In planning it was not planned to attack in the absence of 80 km. It was a decision of his and successful, made with a lot of criteria. It has a career reading that I love. We had thought about attacking Le Tolfe, at the hardest moment where it is difficult to pursue. The most critical and complicated. A place where, if you see the route, you think it is perfect. But, due to career circumstances, it became hard. He realized that he was with two runners like Wellens and Del Toro. He decided to attack because his career reading was like that. Daring, but also something intelligent.
He always pays attention then.
Because the circumstances of tactics do not always come out as you think. The San Remo was with the bull and we could only with Wellens. Even somewhat cut because Pedersen closed and there was a fall. And upon entering Cipressa there was no selection, they all had legs to enter there.
San Remo passed and we are in the Volta. Victoria for Ayuso?
We have an important team and he is at a good time. We have a collide such as Adam Yates. There are important corridors as Pavel, which has been recovered. We made a commitment to Pavel, even in Andalusia where the last two days was bad and decided to continue supporting him even though several days were withdrawn in the absence of two days. We decided that, what happened, they were all with him although we had other options to be in the fight. We have a great team and that’s why we went to everything.
The Spanish explains in brand what he expects this week in the Catalan round.
Always be the best team and being guarded makes things difficult?
Roglic is here and now the corridor that has the most need to win think. And it is not to remove the pressure from ours.
Finally, what challenges do you dream of this 2025? Overcome the HTC record, win the big three …?
The number one is always. It is something we have always transmitted, but we want to improve what we did last year. If we win with 20 runners, win with 21. If we win 81 races, now we want 82. We are not blind and we see the records, but we are not obsessed. You fight the turn with Juan motivates us and gives us that spirit of perfection to get things that are complicated. The tour is the race par excellence and the tour, what am I going to tell you.
