Question for Joe. How difficult is it to combine being a rider with being team owner? Do you ever feel that the ownership influences the performance (distraction for example)?
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Hey Benno
This is a very good question and not a simple one to answer as there are plenty of factors at play here...
Last year was my first year doing both and it was a matter of trial and error trying to find the right balance between focusing on myself as an athlete and my responsibilities for the team. Its' something I'm still learning. Race weeks are busy as there's always someone needing my attention - sponsors, media and the team and it's knowing when and how to engage at certain times. I've had to learn to take myself away at times, so I can focus on the race and achieve my best performance. Fortunately I have an incredible team of people who ensure everything runs efficiently without requiring too much of my time or energy at races. These are people I trust, and admire how they work, so I am confident I can focus on myself more and the team will still operate in a way that I am incredibly proud of. We work very hard during the off-season to build a structure, strategy and team that allows this to happen when we are finally at the races. I do have to manage much higher stress levels than when I was 'just' an athlete as I have less time to ride, train and rest. This is challenging. It now feels like the race weeks are my weeks off, and these are the weeks I enjoy the most. Whereas in previous years as an athlete, the race weeks had been some of the most stressful weeks of my year!
Some of the benefits are that I get to choose the brands and products we decide to work with and run and I can make sure that everything is tested properly before making the decision to enter into an agreement with any brand. This provides us with one of the most competitive set-ups on the circuit. Also getting to choose the people we build our team with - as team environment has always been my number one focus. We think very strategically about every person who we position on the team to deliver the best working environment for all.
Finally, it's an incredible feeling racing for your own team alongside people who you are deeply connected with. The highs are higher and the lows lower.
I hope that's given you some insight into my world!
Thanks
Joe