Eduard Michael Grosu (21 years old / Vini Fantini-Nippo
StatsSo, here goes my first interview for Velorooms.com. The romanian rider Eduard Michael Grosu told me his story as a rider.
Velorooms: When have you started cycling, and why?Eduard Grosu: I’ve started when i was 13 years old (2005). It’s because my father was a rider, multiple romanian champion and he also has a cycling team (Torpedo-Vectra Zarnesti). Also, when I was just a kid my dad was still racing.
Ok, so your dad made you do it. Made you a rider, instead of a footballer?
No, no! It was my choice 100%. All I ever heard was about cycling and all I’ve wanted to do is to be a rider. I’ve wanted, since then, to have better results than my father. Again, I’ve picked cycling.
So, you’ve started at 13 years old. Go further.
It was 2005. After two years I’ve went to France and I’ve spent one year in there. In 2008 I was back to Romania and 2010 found me in Switzerland. Moved to Italy for training and signed with teams from there in 2012.
Tell me how Vini Fantini-Nippo found you. Did you sent them your resume and asked them to test you? Did they noticed you?
No, I haven’t sent them my resume and I haven’t asked for trials. They had scouters at Tour of Romania 2013, and they approached me after my stage win. We’ve been in talks back then (summer of 2013), but things remained that way. Later, in december 2013, the manager sent me a contract, I agreed terms and signed on 28 december for one year.
I know you’ve been very close to sign Lampre-Merida in november 2013.
Well, kind of, yea. Actually, I was in training with them during november-december 2013. With the 2nd team of Lampre, but everything was unsure. It was some sort of a boot camp, I did well, but things were uncertain. Later that month, in december, I’ve signed with Vini Fantini-Nippo.
Ok. But why just for one year?
It’s because Vini Fantini-Nippo is a pro-continental team in Asia, and only Continental in Europe. That’s why we could not do Il Giro. From 2015 they will be pro-continental in Europe too. It was like signing with a new team anyway, even if I had a 3 years contract.
Your contract is almost expired. How do you see your future?
At the moment I have an offer from Vini Fantini-Nipo from 2015 for two years. It’s on hold and I will think about it untill the end of august. If anything from a World Tour team occours, I will go for it. However, I know i have options for 2015.
You had very good results this year. It’s because…?
Well, now I have a very good team to ride with. We have a schedule, very good rough training sessions and so forth.
Your race calendar for this year was made for your skills?
Yes, ofcourse. They’ve picked the perfect race program for me and for my capabilities. It matter alot, having people to look out for you.
Peole, at least the ones who are following you, are not seeing you as a rider to do massive sprint against other natural sprinters. What you you think?
I haven’t aswell, untill this year. Before 2014, I’ve always tried to break the leading group, so we would have a finish in a few riders. But back then I didn’t had any team-support. Now, things have changed. This year I actually had a train going on for the sprint, which was great. And now I think I can do massive sprints.
What do you think you have to improve to be in the world tour and fight with the giants?
At the moment i’m improving alot. I can’t name a weakness. The traininers from Vini Fantini-Nippo are amazed sometimes, when I do test. They haven’t found any limits at the moment. At Tour de Slovenie, I’ve lost to Elia Viviani at photo-finish. To bad the track didn’t had two more meters. At the last corner, I was 8th. Viviani and Matthews were 3rd and 4th. I overcome 7th positions and almost had it. Anyway, I might wanna improve my climbing, but if I do that I will lose from my power explosion at the sprint… but I guess all the big sprinters have done it.
Eduard, I wish you best of luck in your career. Now, the last thing, tell me if you ever had problems during the races for a thread named “ The expulsion of bodily fluids”
Ha-ha. I had, ofcourse. Several times, but the biggest one was in 2011. It was my first year as a U23 rider. In Tour of Romania, all the riders had fish for dinner. Maybe some didn't had, I can't tell that. Something went very wrong because many of us had diarrhea the next day. I’ve stopped once, twice, three times... At some point I figured: damn, the peloton must be very far now. I’ve went back to the bike and told myself that I will quit if it happens again. Ofcourse it did and I’ve abandoned the race
. And it was not only me. We were like 25-30 people who had to quit that day. Imagine the view during that stage.
PS: Sorry. Dind't knew how to add links for his PCS and Photos
PPS: Forgot to add one question. I've asked what he will do next:
I'm going with Vini Fantini-Nippo at the Qinghai Lake in China. 8 days tour. It's 2.0 UCI with World Tour teams in there. As I said, in Asia we are a pro-continental team.
