By that time Yaroslav had made experts believe in him: he took third place in the stage race Giro d'Italia, which is among the most prestigious in the world of professional cycling. And a year later he took fifth place in the Italian tour. In short, he confirmed that he is neither an upstart nor a flash in the pan. And this despite the fact that Kolnago does not belong to the category of rich teams at all. In other words, the Ukrainian's success was not thanks to, but rather despite, circumstances.
Of course, many believed in Popovych's talent. But perhaps no one expected that just before the New Year, Yaroslav would be offered a contract not by just anyone, but by the famous American cyclist Lance Armstrong, winner of the last six Tour de France races (an even more prestigious competition). Armstrong's team, renowned for its power both financially and sportingly, was previously called US Postal, but since 2005 it has changed its title sponsor and will be called Discovery Channel, advertising the television channel of the same name broadcasting worldwide.
To help you understand the level of the offer Popovych received, I will draw parallels with football: it is akin to an invitation to Real, Milan, Juventus, Barcelona, Chelsea, or Manchester United. Given that only one domestic footballer plays in the named clubs, you can imagine that for Ukraine, Popovych in professional cycling is the same as Shevchenko in football.
However, I got a little ahead of myself. Shevchenko was awarded the title of best footballer in Europe for 2004. Popovych has not yet been crowned with such laurels. But excellent prospects are opening up before him. The undisputed leader of Discovery Channel is Armstrong, and the other team members sacrifice their personal results for his success. After the 2005 season, Lance intends to end his career. There is talk that Popovych will be the Americans' number one. I would like to believe...
"The agreement with the American team," says Yaroslav about the details of his transfer, "is for three years with the possibility of extending it for one more year. In the USA I met Lance, visited his homeland in Texas, and we talked quite a lot. A very interesting person - completely normal, knows how to joke, even in serious conversations.
They also took my measurements for making clothes and a bicycle. I am fully satisfied with the terms of the contract. I have, without exaggeration, joined a great club. Suffice it to say that the contract with Kolnago was written on three pages, while with Discovery Channel it was on fourteen.
What were my conditions when signing the contract? I insisted that my fellow countryman Volodymyr Bileka would ride with me. The Americans agreed. In addition, I, not without reason, counted on an increase in fees and got what I wanted. But that is not all: I managed to ensure that my old assistants from Kolnago worked with me - a mechanic and a massage therapist. This is an important factor. Although it is not often in cycling that an athlete moves to another team with his own people.
True, the Discovery bosses also put forward their own conditions, which I had to accept. Now I have no right to play football, ski, go horseback riding or scuba diving, even during my vacation. So I will have to forget about some hobbies. Otherwise there will be problems. There were no such prohibitions in previous teams, the situation is somewhat unusual, and my lifestyle will change significantly, but I still believe that I made a big step forward by signing this contract.
You say I will have to work for Armstrong, whereas before they worked for me? I would not put it so categorically. The team has almost three dozen cyclists, among whom Armstrong of course stands out. Naturally, I understand that in some cases I will have to sacrifice my own ambitions and support a comrade, implement team tactics, hold back and exhaust Lance's rivals. But we must not forget that anything can happen in cycling.
It happens that the favorite performs not very well, and then the team management gives the order to support the one with the best results. Suffice it to recall the last Giro d'Italia: initially Damiano Cunego was supposed to work for Gilberto Simoni, but as the race progressed, the team regrouped, and it was Cunego who became the winner. So anything is possible. Besides, this year Armstrong intends to end his active career. He has already gone into business. Now he is not only the leader of our team, but also its co-owner.
By the way, the headquarters of the American team is not in the USA, but in Belgium. So I will not have to move anywhere. I will live, as before, ten kilometers from Florence. But my fan club, which was based in this city, will soon be closed. The initiative comes from me personally. The fact is that the so-called fans turned out to be fake supporters: after my unsuccessful performance at the Olympic Games in Athens, I received angry letters in which members of my own fan club strongly advised me to take up some other activity. Real fans do not act like that. Therefore, I am sure, the fan club has outlived itself. At least in its current form..."