Rider/Workforce Proprietor Interview There are a lot of methods to grow to be knowledgeable bicycle owner, however Dutchman Bas Tietema should be distinctive in his path: Come up via the ranks, begin a YouTube channel, get a contract with a Belgian Conti crew, then begin your personal crew. Ed Hood needed to discover out extra.
Some groups have embraced ‘Social Media’ extra – and higher – than others; but it surely’s now universally accepted that it’s important for groups to have a presence, ‘within the ether.’
GreenEDGE with their ‘Backstage Move’ movies on You Tube understood early the worth of social media and in the course of the pandemic while many groups went into hibernation, Fast-Step produced fascinating and enjoyable movies about what their riders had been as much as.
However taking issues one step additional is, ‘You Tuber’ and Dutch skilled bicycle owner, Bas Tietema whose ‘Tour de Tietema’ You Tube channel can have his personal Continental crew for 2023 with on-line playing large, Unibet as fundamental sponsor – the corporate ‘blurb’ tells us: “Unibet gives a platform for sports activities betting, on-line on line casino, bingo and on-line poker to over 11 million prospects in over 100 nations.” A serious sponsor many bigger groups can be completely happy to be related to.
Bas Tietema in Nieuwelingen TT champs 2011
We caught up with Bas early within the New 12 months to listen to his story:
PEZ: Completely happy New 12 months, Bas – going again to the beginning, you had been a promising junior rider.
Bas Tietema: Sure, I used to be fairly first rate and because of this I received the chance to affix the BMC Improvement Workforce which was among the best u23 groups round at the moment.
With BMC Improvement crew within the Ster van Zwolle 2014
PEZ: And also you took third within the 2014 u23 Paris-Roubaix.
Sure, the outcome I’m maybe finest identified for and it was a top quality area with Mike Teunissen successful, Stefan Kung twelfth and Tiesj Benoot fifteenth.
Dutch Nationwide U23 time trial championships 2016
PEZ: You had been sturdy in opposition to the watch too with a podium within the Dutch iTT Championships.
In that period you had guys like Mads Pedersen and Mathieu Van Der Poel on their method up and we had been all fairly ‘full’ riders – not climbers however we may all trip the cobbles and time trial fairly strongly.
With AN Submit in 2017
PEZ: After BMC you went to AN Submit.
BMC stopped, they received uninterested in bringing guys up after which different groups coming alongside and getting the good thing about their growth work. My administration company was Trinity who had good connections with AN Submit so when BMC folded they organised me a trip.
Coaching in Spain with Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB. December 2021
PEZ: You then went to BEAT Biking.
That was the final 12 months of the primary interval of my skilled profession, I had points with pores and skin allergy symptoms and my motivation slipped; AN Submit and BEAT had been semi-pro groups and it was powerful for me to determine what I needed to do subsequent.
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PEZ: Seasons 2019 to 2021 you weren’t on the bike however 2022 noticed you again within the peloton with Bingoal Pauwels Sauces.
I adopted plenty of sports activities after I wasn’t racing however I nonetheless liked the bike – and I had a giant curiosity in Social Media. I assumed to myself, ‘what can I do?’ and that was the beginning of issues, I began to put up movies from the Tour de France and we went from zero to getting 200,000/300,000 views. Bingoal was one in every of our sponsors on the channel; I used to be on the bike and going OK in order that they gave me a possibility to trip for the crew – however I needed to attain a sure degree in assessments. It was a tough season, I went OK within the first race, which was the Tour of Antalaya however when there have been cross winds or tough parcours it was tremendous powerful.
Tour De Tietema with their crew automotive from Škoda
PEZ: You could have 150,000 plus subscribers on Tour de Tietema however Dutch is the language – have you ever thought of an English language model?
I haven’t checked the numbers lately however the English language query is an efficient one, albeit we now have English subtitles on our movies. We’re Dutch guys although so plenty of the humour is particular to that language. We’re going to proceed to give attention to the Dutch/Flemish market however we all know there’s massive potential within the UK, USA and Australia, nevertheless we don’t need to make too massive a step too rapidly.
PEZ: The crew, how, why?
It’s an ambition I’ve had for fairly a while; to supply a singular inside story from a crew which is using a number of the greatest races round – I need to see how far we are able to go along with it. We’re a Media Home so we’re not counting on exterior platforms – and it’s not simply going to be purely about outcomes for our sponsors.
With Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne 2022
PEZ: A few names which caught my eye in your line up are the Englishman Harry Tanfield and the Czech Tomas Kopecky.
I keep in mind Harry’s win within the 2018 Tour of Yorkshire however he’s been unfortunate with Katusha and Qhubeka folding. I noticed his title within the outcomes this 12 months right here in The Netherlands and in Belgium, that took my curiosity and I spoke to our crew coach, Hugo Haak we agreed that Harry can be an asset to the crew – significantly within the Belgian and Dutch races the place cross winds are a giant issue and a robust man like Harry comes into his personal. Tomas is Czech however lives in The Netherlands and speaks Dutch, he had some very sturdy outcomes on the finish of 2022 with third within the u23 Paris-Excursions the hi-lite.
Golbert pranks teammate in stress for hours | Tour de France 2022 stage 8
PEZ: Due to your sturdy Social Media presence does that assist with moving into races?
It’s a mix, sure the Social Media is an element however you additionally should area a robust crew, which I believe we’ve got. In addition to the sturdy riders we’ve got wonderful employees in Hugo and Rob Harmeling and that’s additionally an element. We’re confirmed within the UCi 2.1 Tour of Antalya in Turkey, the UCi 1.2 Craft Ster van Zwolle and UCi 2.2 Olympia’s Tour, each within the Netherlands and the UCi 2.Professional Tour of Belgium. However we’re additionally hoping for wild playing cards in races just like the ZLM Tour and Tour of Britain.
Not the primary time Unibet has been within the peloton
PEZ: Unibet had a foul expertise with biking sponsorship, however you could have them again within the sport.
They’ve been trying to come again into the game, however sure, they’d a tough expertise again in 2007 once they had been caught in the midst of a dispute between ASO and the UCi about groups sponsored by playing firms. However now, with Lotto, F de J and Circus all within the peloton there might be no complaints about ‘playing sponsors.’ It’s a giant step for them to come back again however there are lots of people within the organisation who’re into the game, they might have backed a Professional Workforce or World Tour crew however confirmed perception in us and gave us plenty of freedom. And like us, they consider that Continental degree is just not our last vacation spot.
Good paint job
PEZ: Cannondale bikes for the crew and that’s one radical paint job.
Cannondale are among the best bike suppliers there’s, we’ll be on the SystemSix Hello-MOD and sure, the paint job is, ‘outspoken’ for positive. We’ll be on Shimano Ultegra Di2 12 velocity groupsets with Garmin computer systems and energy meters, wheels are by the Dutch firm, Scope and we’ll be using Pirelli P Zero tyres.
Contract discussions with Roglič?
PEZ: What would ‘success’ in 2023 appear to be for you and TDT Unibet?
To make it to the very best ranges, using races like Paris-Roubaix, the Tour of Flanders and the Tour de France – that may be actually nice.
Bas about to start out Paris-Roubaix in 2022
# Good luck to Bas and the crew. You’ll be able to see all the ‘Tour de Tietema’ movies HERE on YouTube. #
PIZZA, PIZZA, PIZZA! Right here we go once more! Additionally this 12 months we are going to ship hard-earned pizzas to the riders and their employees after the final stage in Paris. Bon appetit!
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