“This is nice, what is provided in handball and football and so on. But this is the first time we have a eliteverdensmester for gentlemen on the road.”
Landsholdsrytteren and Mitchelin-Scott-dane Christopher Juul-Jensen points out that it should be in the article on the national coach for eliteherrerne in the road race, Anders Lund.
The 34-year-old eksprofessionelle cyclist is nominated for this Year’s Coach 2019 for his work with the Danish landevejsryttere.
At the end of september, it was arguably the primary result, which ensures Anders Lund nomination, as Mads Pedersen sensationally became world champion.
First and foremost, one should not let themselves be fooled by the fact that cycling does not require a team effort. But when you look at how little time Anders Lund have, in essence, with landsholdsrytterne, you will find out how difficult a task he has.
“The special thing about his role is that basically no events with the riders during the year. There is no through the World Cup or landsholdsaktivitet as such. The only thing we have to do with them, is, when we run the european and WORLD championships every year and the OLYMPICS every four years,” says elitechef in Denmark’s Cycling Union, Morten Bennekou.
Christopher Juul-Jensen votes in.
“It is not the same as a football or håndboldlandstræner, where they account for a relatively large part of the season, with matches and qualification. Anders has two races a year. That’s it.”
‘Fucking hell, we can take responsibility!’
It may seem like an impossible task to put his stamp on eight competitive væddeløbsryttere, when you have the riders to do maybe just two times in a year.
“At the WORLD cup we had to put with eight men, and we provide everything else right up with the six man who would be able to run in the top-10, if they even got the chance. It is a very dangerous starting point,” says Morten Bennekou, and continues:
“It is fucking not easy to get such a bunch of to run a common tactic, when it is a route that fits many of the riders, and then amortises its own chance. And I must say that Anders has impressed me, for I know how many problems we have had with it the last 20 years.”
In the weeks leading up to the WORLD cup in Harrogate was Anders Lund continuously in contact with the riders to hear their thoughts and ambitions, while he told the riders about landsholdsledelsens plans for the individual rider.
A handful of days before the race met the horsemen, and so, where it stood on several conversations.
“It was important for Anders to convince us and make sure we were all set on it. So is it from there to create the mood: ‘Fucking hell, we can take responsibility and create the race!'”
“We would all get to look at France, Italy, Holland, Belgium. But we have also a team that has an equally respectable track record in the field. So it will be lortevejr. We come from Denmark, we are very good at. Fucking well running. Anders is completely up and running. So, why not?” says Christopher Juul Jensen, who also points out that it was not his only task at the WORLD cup.
“He must just have a grip on its 23-boys before us, and he has performed on the best show. They perform time and time again and have a tremendous respect for Anders,” he says of the under 23 riders who are at the WORLD cup grabbed a WORLD cup gold by Mikkel Mountain in the individual time trial.
The jovial guy
Anders Lund’s work in the context of this year’s WORLD cup has made a huge impression on Morten Bennekou.
“It was a hugely positive experience to see the riders already on the Wednesday before the race get into, be motivated and stand fully behind our angrebsivrige level. Now it went up in a higher unity, but even though we had been number eight, it was just a pleasure to see Anders working with the group already at home,” says elitechefen in the DCU.
Several of landsholdsrytterne reached even to run together with Anders Lund, who himself was a prolific year, when Matti Breschel won the WORLD cup-bronze in 2008 and WORLD cup silver in 2010.
“He is the same jovial Anders from at the time. He is a spunk to, but he is also the type who can say: ‘Okay, boys. Now we just shut up’. It is very it, I’m used to in Mitchelton-Scott. And I think it’s great,” says Christopher Juul-Jensen.
It sounds very much as if one of his finest tasks is that it must be fun to run in the national team?
“Definitely. And I will at any time recommend him for a large groups. Even though he has no experience as a sports director at the World Tour level, so one would almost believe he has been there and then gone back to being national coach.”
the Winner of this Year’s Coach of 2019 will be announced on Thursday 5. december. In the days leading up to the awards you can read portraits of all four nominees.
Here you can read more about Piotr Wojewski and Casper Jørgensen, while Thursday can read about Nikolaj Jacobsen.
