00:00Can I just ask, we knew this moment would come sooner than later, but still the timing
00:07surprised a few people. Can you tell us the reason for retiring right now?
00:14The real reason I was asked to talk is a joke. I think on January 6th we have 70 and I think
00:24I have a long, long, long story after me and I feel it's time to leave this. I did enough
00:34I think for me, for myself, for my team and after being 55 years in cycling, it's okay.
00:46After all those years in cycling, is this an emotional moment or are you as rational
00:50as always?
00:51Oh, unfortunately I cannot judge my emotional moments. The moment I was there to speak in
01:01the front, there were some moments that I felt something else you can't say emotions.
01:07When I saw all those people in the room, I think 180, but then afterwards we had a drink
01:16and then some people cried and they come to hug you and that's maybe the moments where
01:21it's more tough than an offshore press meeting.
01:25Which message did touch you the most yesterday and how many messages did you get on your phone?
01:32Well, I'm known for answering all my messages. I did my best, but this night I was not in the
01:40best condition to answer my messages. We had a nice party here in the bar, straight over the
01:48hotel, but I go home today and then I have time enough to answer and my moments were so much.
01:59Probably when my oldest man in the team who started with me, 92, 93, started to cry,
02:07then those things are touching me, yes.
02:10Patrick, I was wondering, are you completely in peace with this decision or does it feel
02:15a little bit forced in a way?
02:17No, it's not forced. I don't know if I let me forced or I should let me forced. No, I think
02:25that's okay. The moment I was not decided yesterday or the day before, I think a few
02:33weeks ago, I flew to Switzerland to speak with Mr. Bakkela and there we took the decision.
02:42It was his decision or yours or the two of you together?
02:45We took the decision. He decided to go on with the team after all the things that happened
02:51the last years. And for me, it was good that I knew that I didn't left a burning boat after me.
03:03You were more or less done with the job. What specific aspects of the job
03:08took the heaviest toll on you the last years?
03:12Flying. I hate flying.
03:16Okay. And also perhaps the quest for sponsoring or the responsibility for employees?
03:24I always took my responsibility and I will not hide that
03:28finding sponsors for the moment was tough, but it was always tough. I think now we have some
03:38future for a few years, but I knew years that it was only one year with an option and
03:44know that all these agents are asking what will happen in 28 and we have nearly 25.
03:50For this kind of questions, it makes me tired. And I think I didn't have this person next to me
03:59here. There's no chance to choose sponsors and if I can have a hand in it, I will do it.
04:07But it's not my main job anymore.
04:12How involved will you still be in the sport, Patrick? Are you still going to be
04:17at the team's races, or are you literally going to wave into the sunset and we'll never see you
04:22again? I will not be there like an idiot after the finish waving to everybody. If they invite
04:34me and I want to come, I will come. But I neither will push myself or force them to ask me. I will
04:43not go every day to the service course where I don't want to hear if somebody complains and then
04:49say, yeah, you see, I did better. That's not my style. So I will see when and what I do.
04:57I'm a free man now. With the Van Gils and Pinchcock cases, do you think that cycling
05:04is entering a new era? And is this a concern for teams with smaller budgets?
05:10Is this the new cycling? If this is the new cycling, I started too late because I could
05:18earn money with it. But I don't know for sure. It's better than nothing, but I'm not sure if it's a
05:24good move. Of course, the rich teams will always have the first chance to offer more money than
05:33other teams. But we did it before with more silence and an honest way. The three parties,
05:41like we say, the rider himself, the team where he goes and the team where he comes from.
05:47It was with a clear agreement with an invoice. For me, it was OK, but it should not be a daily
05:56business. Did it feel like age was catching up with you in any way when you took the decision?
06:01Was it one of the reasons why you took this decision? Well, I will not lie about it,
06:07that you feel physically that you're not the same person anymore as I was 10 years ago,
06:13especially because the storms went through the last two years.
06:22The recovery, everything around the province and the team became so big. We took the ladies on
06:30board and I think we have now around 180 persons and for one person, that's so much. For me,
06:38it was too much. How did the sponsors and especially Quickstep react? Because it was
06:47also like a marriage for 20 years or so, I guess. I didn't want anybody before because
06:57if you do it, you know, with the leaks and the new media and everything, it made no sense that
07:03I gave a speech. I tried to call everybody, but yesterday there was a trophy in Belgium,
07:12the best on the naming and a lot of my sponsors were there yesterday evening.
07:18I will catch up the time to speak with them. You've mentioned that there's been a few storms
07:24in the last few years. Obviously, we don't need to repeat what those storms have been.
07:27Have you had assurances from Bakala that he will keep his money in the team,
07:32that the team will continue into the next World Tour cycle? And are you confident in the current
07:38environment of cycling, maybe with one cycling happening, that the team can continue to be?
07:44Well, first of all, first question. Yes, Mr. Bakala confirmed to me that he believes in the
07:53blue team and that he will invest. I don't want to name numbers, but it's more than everybody
08:01thinks. And he did already a lot more than everybody thinks. So on this side, I don't worry.
08:08On the other side, I think I'm one of the fathers of Vellon. I was immediately behind
08:19one cycling. I believe in it. It becomes tricky if there are too many people around the table
08:27and lawyers. Before everybody has his word, it takes you a lot of time. But I'm confident with
08:34some goodwill and the cycling will grow money-wise. Everybody has to push this project.
08:43Thank you all. As I said, there'll be a recording available soon.
08:47Just let me know if you need it. Thank you. Ciao. Thank you.
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