Interview - Stefan Wyman

The Swift Women's team will race a progamme of Elite races, including stage races and classics such as Het Volk and Fleche Walloon. The team begins a three year deal with Caravan and Mobile home makers Swift this season and features riders from across the globe. The team was introduced at the Birmingham NEC at the Outdoor Show on February 23.

More pictures from the Team Launch - Adam Tranter (Fusion-Media.co.uk)

Like Danny De Bike, who we also interviewed, Stefan's take on our sport and his position gives us an insight into the various aspects of cycle racing. His issues are generally shared by many others at every level.

2008 Squad
The team is Sarah Reynolds; Emma Jones, Alice Monger Godfrey, Helen Wyman, Gabby Day, Toni Bradsaw, Marina Duvnjak, Louise Moriarty, Jenny Fay, Sigrid Jochems, Lien Beyen, Debby van den Berg, Ine Beyen Plus three more riders to be announced soon including UK riders.

What was your path to becoming a team manager?
Stefan - It was purely by chance. A phone call from a bike shop owner interested in backing a team came on the same day my wife left her team. It went from there and within 2 years we were a professional team racing in Europe.

What ambitions does the team have for 2008 and the longer term?
Stefan - The start of 2008 is about the team coming together and learning to really trust eachother. Without that the results just don’t happen. We have some great races on our early season calendar and I hope that by May, and Tour de L’aude, the riders are working as one group and can start to make an impact.

With the long term sponsorship agreement we have with Swift Motorhomes, I can focus on getting our 2009 squad in place already. The main area to change from the past will be keeping as many riders as possible from our current squad. I’m very happy with our team and the longer they are together; the better they will all perform.

I do want to keep adding good young British riders to the squad. I’m very keen to have a large British element to the squad for the 2012 games and I hope more young British riders apply to the team, or come back to the team who have been with us in the past.

Has women's elite cycling developed a higher profile since you became invloved?
Stefan - When I began in women’s cycling it was very much the poor relation of men’s cycling. It was supprising as its clean reputation and competitive racing should have reaped more rewards for it riders. However over the past 2 seasons there have been big changes.

Many major sponsors have walked from the men’s side, while many major new sponsors have joined the women’s side, like Swift Motorhomes. I think another major breakthrough is the interoduction of a women’s team in the T-Mobile/High Road set up. This shows a real step forward and a huge amount of money being placed into the women’s race scene. Those riders can earn a good living and get the rewards they deserve.

What do you think the building blocks of a team are?
Stefan - Comunication, Trust, Passion

Without all of these, a rider or manager simply won’t achieve everything possible. They can do well of course, but if you communicate well, trust your team and team-mates, and have the fire in your belly you need that drives you forward, the sky is the limit.

What makes for a good team?
Stefan - As well as those areas mention above, all I would add is balance. You have to have a good mix of riders and experiences on the team. We have riders from 16 to 31 years old. First rear seniors to former Olympians and Commonwealth games medalists. We have staff with a cycling background, and staff without. But there is never a situation where these differences hold us back as there difference have been carefuilly placed together.

How do you make this happen?
Stefan - ALL riders on the team are hand picked by myself. I never sign a rider who I don’t know. I have to carefully consider each riders impact on the group. There’s no I in Team.

What are the biggest issues/problems you face organising a race team? What are your chief frustrations etc.?
Stefan - 1. There are too many people in this sport that make promices they can’t keep. That is part of the reason I am doing what I do. Riders need to be stable if they are to perform at the highest level. And if they are always looking over their shoulder, they simply can’t do it.

2. Too many people are very quick to publicly air their dirty washing. Cycling is a samll world. In fact it is a very small world. People who can’t help themselves but put others down harm our sport beyond belief. They force interested parties away from it, and with it goes money that will secure their /others future in the sport.

3. To compete again the biggest teams in the world, you are looking at huge budgets. We are now well backed but are a fraction of the size of a team like High Road. I’m very sure this will change but its tough to watch domination. Now we have Nat-Pro teams…………again how can you compete with that?

I have extreme confidence that if I keep doing what I am doing with 100% commitment, I will be able to put something great in place for our rider for our riders, sponors and those that have helped us along the way.

As a manager how do you relate to the riders? Are you the one you want the riders to hate you rather than eachother?
Stefan - I try to find something with each rider I can have a connection with. With riders with a big age range, that takes a while, but as I mentioned I only put riders on the team that I know so that makes it easier. I have to be hard in some situations as I believe that the way I’m doing something is right, however I encourge communication and if I don’t listen, I loose respect from the riders. So we have a very open system to ensure we get everyone happy and blended together.

A favourite movie of the team house is Green Mile. A quote in the movie is, ‘you may not like me, but you will respect me’. I hope things never get to that, but it holds a lot of truth. Every rider is different and probably has differing abilities and commitment – how do you blend each to the benefit of the team?

Everyone needs to be 100% committed to the sport and winning. If they are not, there is no place from them. However that doen’t have to be ‘here and now’. The young riders may be committed to a future in the sport, but need to complete their eduction first.

We support our riders 100% when they decide to stay in college or go to University. Riders with a little life experience seem to settle better when they are in a team environment.

Are you more like a bank manager, a head master or a counsellor?
Stefan - I think I’m more like a master counsellor with a finance background. So I guess all 3.

When are you happy?
Stefan - I love it when a plan comes together……….

Websites
Team - www.teamswiftracing.com/
Swift - www.swiftleisure.co.uk/