--Veronica Bates reporting for
Colavita Bolla
We want to ask a whole bunch of questions, and we want them answered
immediately, Mr. Wolf! You’ve stayed behind the scenes for too long and we want
to know your story.... 10 quick questions....
1. Tell me the “perks” of being a PRO bike rider...
Being able to meet some of the greatest people in the world, and living your
dream! Well, almost!
2. Are you superstitious? Like, maybe, wear an old under shirt with moth
bitten holes through it? Wear your jock strap back to front... Oops, wrong
sport...You get my drift....
Lol, well, I have had little things along the years, but in the end, I'm not
really a believer in superstitions! I have a friend, really famous rider,
winningest Italian /US rider (name withheld) who is freaked out by superstitious
stuff though like black cats - hehe, soo funny!
3. Tell me about life with Colavita Bolla.
It is a new team full of a good bunch of guys, there is a lot to learn but as
the year goes on, it has become a lot more cohesive! I have to say that the
sponsor has to be one of the best that I have ever seen in cycling though,
someone who is honest and wants things to be done the right way!
4. That’s sweet. Let’s move on...What’s in store for you for the rest of the
season?
Well, this season has been pretty bad, I had good form after a hard trainnig
camp at Ernie Lechuga's and got sick day before Georgia, and bad allergies at
Tour of Connecticut. I started to come around at Clarendon Cup where I was in
the front group, and Trenton went well at the front, but at Philly I felt off
even though I was riding well and finished but later that night ended up with a
virus, temperature of 104 degrees for a week straight.
Sooo...the morale had been pretty low, but now I am refocused and want to
finish off the second half of the season well.
Mt. Holly RR
and NYC are important, as well as US Pro Crit! There are some local races as
well that I have always liked. If I can turn my road racing form back on and
stop riding like a crit rider, I would love to go for selection for the Tour de
L'Avenir team in September, but let's take it from this Sunday and see how that
goes!
5. What do you have in your CD playing right now?
Ha, hmm, can I tell you the truth, my "Friend" ;-) Erin gave me this mix of
dance music and stuff to get me into a party type mood for my birthday.
6. If you were to be ANY Pro cyclist in the world, who would it be....? And
WHY do you admire that person?
Any Pro cyclist, it would have to be Indurain, he grew through the years, and
then when he was ready, showed everyone how good he really was! There are soo
many of my friends I admire as well. Francesco Frattini (ex-Telekom) and his
brother Davide (Alessio), for their honestness and kindness. Christian
Vandevelde, I always looked up to him since the first time we met 11 years ago,
especially when he was flying at the Vuelta which I knew was coming!!!
Ivan Basso, he would always say to me when we are training together, "Non
Molono Mai"!!! (never give in) and even as amateurs, we would always train
together when home beating up each other, yet still chatting after! Stefano "ZA
ZA" Zanini, who is a really good friend whom I have known and trained with since
I started racing in Italy in 1998 with Brescialat. He has always been like a big
brother, always helping me along, like at a training camp last August we had in
Varese with Garzo and all, or this year at Philly week, where we were always
close to each other in the races, he would tell me to stay near his wheel -
like in a break in Trenton, I remember, it was VDV, ZA, Saunders, Tafi, and me
going, and ZA was telling me where to go, same at Philly, last lap, I knew he
would win, actually, 5 to go, he said he didn't know how he was feeling, he
thought he might stop. That night, we had a good laugh at the hotel with Eustice
and I had to "bust his chops" about feeling "so so".
7. Tell me about your training.
A typical week in the next few weeks should look like this, which is both a
mix from my coach (John Eustice) and trainer (Max Testa) :
Monday: Recovery 2hrs
Tuesday: 6hrs (2hrs normal, 2hrs specific behind the Scooter, and 2hr Race in
Connecticut to end the day).
Wednesday: 5hrs am (4x15min 95-110 rpm at
182-186LT) and rest of time in 53x19/17 at 100rpm PM: 1hr spin with local club
to teach riding skills!
Thursday: 6hrs on Housatonic course (my back yard) with climbs at 80+rpm (LT
towards max by end) and rest of day good click/tempo/35-40kph with last hour
behind motor like end of race!
Friday: easy 2-3hrs Saturday: 2hr race early am and travel to Pittsburg race
Sunday: Murrysville (NRC race).
8. In one word describe Nathan Russell?
Kick ASS!!! Whoops, that's two words, oh well!
9. Do you have a girlfriend at the moment? I promise it goes NO further than
here....chuckle chuckle...
Hmm, that is easy, yet difficult? Let's say I am single, hehe, in love with
someone who is going abroad for school, so not serious with anyone at the
moment!
10. What was the best, personal moment this season with Colavita Bolla for
you?
Probably when I finally showed how I should be riding, like at Clarendon,
where I was 10th (should have been 5th), actually, maybe first stage of Tour of
Connecticut, the criterium, where I first proved to our director that I was not
a flash in the pan and that pleased a lot of people.
Anything you what to throw out to all the women out there....like you just
don’t care..put your hands in the air....
A little extra:
Height: 6ft/1.83m
Weight: 68-72kilo
Max HR: 202
LT: 182-186 Max
Power: 500watts (in April)
Power at Threshold: 400watts
Resting HR: 34-44
Okaaaaay, naturally......with that, another successful interview - SO until we
meet the road again friends..VIVA LA France and GO the Aussie
Mafia.......Peace!!
Veronica
More Adventures of Nathan and Veronica:
The Adventures of Nathan and Veronica: Maplewood, New Jersey
The Adventures of Nathan and Veronica: Trenton
The Adventures of Nathan and Veronica: Lancaster
The Adventures of Nathan and Veronica: Redlands
The Adventures of Nathan and Veronica
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