Interview with Jasha Sütterlin

CARLOS VILLALBA GALÁN

How did you get to the Movistar team?

I get in the team with the contact from my manager. He tried to find a pro team for me and we spoke with Movistar first and only team. So we decide to go to Movistar in the end of my 3rd season under 23 in 2014.

What did Eusebio Unzué want from you when you came to the team?

First of all we wanted to grow up step by step, year by year. A little bit to improve in the classics and to help the gc riders in the big tours.

Do you know that the last German that Eusebio had on his team was Daniel Becke in 2005?

Yes, I know Daniele Becke was the last German rider in an Eusebio’s team, but I don't know him personally I never spoke to him.

In today's cycling it is important to speak English. Is it important to speak Spanish in a Spanish team?

Yes, it’s really important. When I sign the contract in 2014, I did a crash course in Spanish to speak with all the team, all the stuffs and all the riders. But the most of them speak also a little bit English and if I forget something in Spanish we do it in English.

What are the words in Spanish that you most use in the race?

It depends, the most tactical things we speak in the bus and in the race we speak about when we try to attack or when somebody have to come to the car to take food and bottles for the team. But in the end the most we use is "vamos venga chicos".

Are you better known in Germany or in Spain?

The most people know me in my home region and in all over Spain, but the most in Spain.

When will you run a Vuelta a España?

I will do normally the Vuelta this year.

Last year your goal was to run the Tour and finish it, what is your next goal in a big one?

Yes, it was the dream all my life to finish one day in Paris. To finish the Tour is one of the most beautiful feelings in cycling, my big goals for a grand tour like Giro, Tour or Vuelta is to win a stage.

What has it meant for you not to race the Tour de France this year?

I was really disappointed, but I never lose the focus and I took a little rest and prepared new for the rest of the season, for La Vuelta and for Bink Bank Tour.

Has Movistar sacrificed this year's regularity throughout the year to win the Tour?

No, I wouldn’t say that, I would say that the team prepared very well, but never loosed the focus also for the other races. But this tour was very special and all the team was prepared perfect because we had Mikel, Nairo and Valverde. It was a really really good chance this year to win the tour but Sky was just too strong.

Do you adapt better to the big rounds or to the races of a week?

Personally, I think my future is the one day races to win and one week races, but to help I’m always there in the grand tours to help the gc guys like Nairo or Mikel.

How do you see the state of health of German cycling?

The German cycling grows up step by step again and we have a lot of young talent and its really nice to see that we also have again a German Tour. 

Why is it that you are so good at the time trial in the World Cups?

I really can’t say what the Germans are so good in time trial I think it’s just a different training and the Germans as everybody can see are big strong guys with a lot of power.

Three times silver in the time trial championships in Germany, how long will Tony Martin last?

It’s a good question I have tried for 3 years now to beat Tony in the nationals, but he’s still a powerhouse and really hard to beat, but I try every year my best and hopefully I will kick him off the top of the podium next year.

Can you describe what the time trial that best suits your qualities would be?

The best for me personally what I really like and prefer it’s a long time trial with little up and down and around like 25 degrees.

Would you like to beat the time record as Dowsett?

It’s a nice idea, but in the moment I don’t think about because it needs a lot of time to prepare, I never tried it and i have no idea what is my best record for one houre.

If you won a stage in a big round, which one would you like?

I really would like to win a stage race because there you are riding against the others in the same race the strongest with the best tactic win the race. But it’s also nice to win time trial races because there you have against yourself, you really need to be a big fighter and it suffering in the really red level from the start to the finish.

Have you noticed much in the team the losses facing the team time trial?

Team time trial is all about team work and we really have a strong team, but if some guys are struggling in the team time trial it makes it really hard to be in the top position and it’s one of the hardes sports in the world because you really need to go in really deep red level all the time for sure. It’s sad the we don’t have Alex or Jonathan but it’s not only about 1 or 2 guys to makes the difference you can have the 6 best team trial riders in the world but if your not working together as a team it makes it not easy to win.

This year a lot of people have left the team, however you are still in the team, how long will we have Jasha in the MovistarTeam?

Yes, it’s sad that they left the team because they are really good team mates and really good team players but nevertheless this is cycling. Not every rider stays for all the career in the same team. I think sometimes you need new experiences and challenges, I will stay for sure also next year and I would like to stay longer.

What would you like to achieve in cycling within 5 years?

I’m really happy to be in one of the best teams in all the world and to achieve a win in Madrid, but it’s not only about to win I love cycling and that’s my life, and life this life is unbelievable. I turned my hobby into a profession and I want to life this as long as posible. And cycling is a big family I’m really happy to have so many friends around me which support me specialy my girlfriend, my family and the team which always believe in me. And my goals for the future are to win some big races in grand tours and one day races.

Photos: Movistar Team / BettiniPhoto.net