Marko Kump strengthens Adria Mobil Cycling

One of the best cyclists from Adria Mobil Cycling program is coming back home. His contract with Tinkoff Saxo expired, and he chooses to ride for the home team, despite several offers from foreign teams.

Why Adria Mobil?
I realized that racing in such a big team like Tinkoff Saxo is not for me. You have to be very good, but you also have to accept the lifestyle of a professional racer. I never did that. Races, traveling, training came one behind the other, we almost didn’t have any rest. The things became even harder after my child was born. In the past I felt great in the Adria Mobil team, and I know that this is a team for me. I need less stressful life and more time for my son.

Are you happy with the results in the last seasons?
It is so hard to stand out in such a good team – there is always somebody better than you. I had my share of top ten finished. My best result of 2014 season was third place on Criterium International (HC category).

Did the atmosphere in the team changed after the Oleg Tinkoff’s takeover?
It was exceptionally well organized team in the past and still is, but there is more pressure now. Tinkoff invested a lot of money in the team and has big expectations and also demands results from the riders. Riis knows cycling very well, Tinkoff will have to learn a lot. Despite the fact that he doesn’t think so. Atmosphere in the team was better in the previous season.

What kind of impression did Alberto Contador did on you?
I admire him. He is always busy for the whole day, on the races and on the training. His “PR” is always with him and he always has some responsibilities. His motivation is incredible and demands a lot from the team. Sometimes he get hard and nervous, he really wants 100% support. He appreciates the help of his helpers and he is not shy saying this after the race. He is a big fighter, he will never surrender on the race. He will fight all the way to the end, even when we all know that the race is lost.

Team Adria Mobil Cycling will be now stronger than ever. Team manager Boštjan Mervar is also happy with the arrival of Marko Kump: “We needed a rider like Kump. We were missing a good sprinter and now we have a complete team. Everybody in the team knows who is coming to ride for us, and we know that this is now a dream team. Everybody are glad that he will join us and welcomed him.”

Srečko Glivar