“We will be on the Tour de France in 2030, in 5 to 6 years”
“We have a lot to do to prepare for next year“He begins by explaining.”We have a contract with our sponsor (Modern Adventure travel company, editor's note) for six years. It gives us time to redo a good American team for the first time for a long time. There will be 50 to 60% of American runners in the workforce, to give new American generations a path and a passage to come here in Europe and go around France in the future. I am necessarily afraid because it takes time to set up a team of zero. But we are ready, George has found a good sponsor and we will start Come Pro Team. We hope to be on the Tour de France in 5 to 6 years. Our sponsor has been broken over 6 years, and even speaks of 8 or 10 years old, and his dream is to go around in less than 6 years.”
The contours of the future workforce are not yet really defined, as it has entrusted to us. “”I can't really talk about runners, because we are not yet officially a team, we must first see our status with the UCI. But they will be young, and 50 to 60% of Americans. I cannot say the names today, because I am not sure myself myself. We also look for old runners with experience from Europe, who have the attitude and the mind to build this project with us from the start. “As a reminder, Le project will be led by Gorg Back and his brother Richardalso owners of the team. The outfits will be provided by Hincapie Sports. We will find in this adventure as support and financial partners Dustin HarderCEO of Harder Mechanical Contractors and founder of Harder Hospitality, and Luis Vargasfounder of Modern Adventure. The old runners Ty Magner, Joey Rosskopf et Alex Howes will be sports directors. The team will be based at Gironain Spain, with at least half of the runners of American nationality.
“Lance Armstrong will have nothing to do with us and our team”
One of the information released in the media that had made a lot of talk concerns one of the support of this future team, since The podcast “The Move” animated by Lance Armstrong will be part of the adventure, his logo Appearing on the team's jersey presented in the ad video. An unexpected choice of partnership, even if we know that Hincapie et Armstrong have been teammates for more than a decade, especially at US Postal, Discovery Channel et RadioShackand that thehe two men remained close after their retirement, regularly collaborating in the cycling media, of which The Move. Asked about the role that the former septuple winner of the Tour fallen for doping, Bobby Jewish wanted to provide important details.
“Lance will have nothing to do with our team, there will be no link. George and just have a very popular podcast, The Move, who will be a partner and on the jersey, but only because George is proud of this podcast of which he is a part. Armstrong will not be our advisor, this is not true at all. It may be a bit confused, but I tell you now in front of your camera, Armstrong will do nothing within this project. He will not give us money, he will not give me advice. Obviously these are two very good friends, so they will talk to each other, but he will have nothing to do with us“, he said. And that has the merit of being clear and putting an end to speculations on this question!
“We come to plant the American flag on the Tour”
Obviously, we couldn’t not mention his reunion with the Tour de Francehe who stopped his career in 2008 before becoming a coach at Skya position he then left after admitting in 2012 that he was doped at the EPO. “”It's something special. I have returned to the USA since 2016 (he lived before that in Nice, editor's note), where I saw with my family and pes two girls, who grew well. I stayed a little in the world of cycling, but not with close ties. But with this new team, I will be back. The Tour de France remains the tour and the biggest race in the world, with which I have a little story … My podium in 1998, level that I never reached again, a victory over the team lap in 2001 with Crédit Agricole … But after 1998, I changed role, especially with CSC. My last round was in 2006. It ended in the 7th stage, on a time. I finished in an ambulance, this is my last memory … But I love the tour, and that's why I am ready to come back to it and do the best possible for young Americans. We come to plant the American flag on the Tour.”
