Lasts spring Rasmus Byriel Iversen did semi classics such as Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne and Le Samyn, before COVID-19 hit in March, and had to put cycling on standby for indefinite time. This year Lotto-Soudal is replaced with Team Herning CK Elite, and the sports highest level is replaced with the Danish A-class.

If Rasmus Byriel Iversen had ben able to chose himself, he would have stayed on the professional team, but when Lotto-Soudal decided not to renew his contract, he was suddenly in a situation, where he had to reconsider his future. When the end of 2020 was near and he had to find another team, he had to ascertain that his career would not continue riding on the WorldTour. The arrow was pointing towards a career stop before it had even begun. Or he could continue at a lower level.

“When I was to make my choice about a team at the end of last year, none of the other teams were able to offer me any pay. So, when there was no economical benefit to me choosing a continental team oppose to a DCU-team, wouldn’t it be better for me to be a part of a cycling team, where I had the best mental environment and the team where I felt I had the best foundation to develop as a bike rider?”

That the arrow ended up pointing at Herning Cykle Klubs elite team, Team Herning CK Elite, was because of a row of coincidences. The bike rider Jeppe Klein Jensen, who is from the same town as Rasmus Byriel Iversen, was already on the team, and his god friend from the Junior time, Jonas Nordal Jakobsen, also transferred to the team. He already knew quite a few of the other riders on the team, and suddenly it seemed very tempting to race for the team.

“I reached out them (Team Herning CK Elite) and asked them what we were able to do together. Now we have a super good agreement, where they support me. I had time to reflect on it before I said yes, so it was a clear choice about what was best for my career.”

Rasmus Byriel’s way of career to the top of the sport, is more like the on the Danish talents went on in the 70’s and 90’s, than the one most of the young riders take today. After two years as u23 rider on the Danish roads, he took things into his own hands, outside the talent development network there is in Denmark, and went on an adventure in the bike country Italy.

“It made sense at the time and it is for certain one of the best things that happened for my career. I was not a big talent when I did my first two years as a u23 rider in Denmark. I had a few podiums in the A-class, but I did not manage to join the national team or anything. It was not until I moved to Italy, where for the first time in my life, I did not have anything else to do, beside biking, that I improved vastly and started to win races. From there on it went extremely fast”

At his stay in Italy Rasmus Byriel Iversen wins nine races in the 2018 season, and is a hot topic between the riders’ agents, who suddenly had an eye for the blond Dane. Everything went perfectly and he is rewarded with a contract at Lotto-Soudal for the 2019 and 2020 season.

“I went pro in my u23 years. That is quite early, I feel. I think I did not even get used to it mentally. I had a few trips with the national team that year, and I did experience having this natural transition. It was from a continental team, to having to do almost everything myself, to being a pro. It was a huge revolution, and I think I maybe needed a bit more of a calm way.”

In Italy Rasmus Byriel had a good training environment, where he focused on training right as well as training a lot. But he did discover that the culture around biking was different in Italy, next to the safer surroundings in Denmark. And there was another focus on the diet.

“If the Danish culture is old-fashioned, the Italian is from the antiquity. People would fell each other on the stomach, and you would be told to lose weight before you would be asked to train. It was very old-fashioned. We would be served salad after training to drop weight, and suddenly I saw I was able to perform better while simultaneous loosing some weight.  It confirmed the urge I already experienced about wanting to go down in weight and that just created this very unhealthy relationship to food, where I tried to eat as little as possible and so many things were forbidden. It created a spiral I just went deeper and deeper into. This was when my eating disorder started to accelerate, I think. Where I started to lose control over it for the first time.”

The years as a pro bike rider did not do anything good for Rasmus Byriel Iversen’s eating disorder, that started to develop more and more. In the fall 2020 he stood up and tolled about his challenges in an Interview with Jyllands Posten (Danish newspaper). A sensitive subject about the challenges on weight in the sport, that is on one side widely known, but on the other site is a taboo. The article was published at the same time as a rapport from Team Denmark, covering all elite sports, where it came out that more than half of all professional athletes has problems with or distorted eating habits.

“From an objective outlook you can say than more than half of pro athletes has an eating disorder to a greater or lesser degree. Does the mental health have to come compromise with the physical? I had a platform and an opportunity to communicate this, and I thought why not get out with it and create some understanding with where I am today. I hoped to push a little to the debate and to move the focus in another direction than where it was earlier and maybe create some perspectives about how it can also go with the culture the is in cycling. That you can be a pro athlete without being judged on your number. From the start my psychologist recommended me from the start to try to pull the plug, because I was so deep into it. But I was in the middle of a contract year, so I was not able to just do that, if I wanted to keep being a pro. I tried to make it work, but it was hard to balance.”

Now Rasmus Byriel Iversen is back in Denmark and hopes to restart his career with team Herning CK Elite, where he has ben welcomed with open arms. This has created a big motivation towards the start of the season.

“What is keeping me most down right now, is this eating disorder. But I had some good surroundings during the winter, with Herning Cykle Klub, who is there to support me. It really has been a perfect match.”

Team Herning CK Elite has prepared for the start of the season by being on a training camp at a cottage at the west coast of Denmark, where they have done loads of --. The training has had a whole other dynamic because of being able to ride multiple people together.

“We have had a hard block of training the last couple of weeks and then some hard training days with the Herning Team, the last weekend before the season start. We are starting with Sydkystens Cykelløb the 1^st and 2^nd of April, then we have a rest day, before a bike race in Herning on the 4^th and Aarhus on the 5^th. After this weekend, the season has started, and you know how you are compared to the others. It’s exciting.”

In his years at a pro, Rasmus Byriel Iversen started his season in January, but this year it is different. In the end of march, at the time of the interview, he still has not competed in a single race yet. On the paper he feels he is where he needs to be, but he is still going humbly into the start of the season.

“I am meeting the season with open arms. It is a bit of a different prep this year, where I have had focus on not building up too much tiredness. I try to start the season with as few expectations as possible. It can quickly become difficult, if you have done some good test over the winter, and feels like everything is simply perfect, and you are expecting to go become the world champ. Then you do your first race and suddenly you realize everybody else also did their training during the winter.”

As a bike rider on team in Herning, there is no doubt what is going to be one of the seasons highlights throughout the year – Grand Prix Herning. It is on the teams’ home roads and multiple of the riders are from the area, and have grown up with the race, and ben there cheering on the riders at the paves or helped at the race.

“For those who will get to participate in the race, it is quite huge. It is without a doubt one of the highlights on the calendar.  It is also on of the races in Denmark with the most history. It was done back in the 90’s as a UCI race and on gravel segments before gravel was a thing. The race has its own characteristic and are on the same level as some of the biggest races in Denmark – maybe just a category under PostNord Danmark Rundt and the National Championships – but it is up there. In my eyes it is the biggest one-day race that you can win in Denmark, that is not the national championships, because it is so characteristic - and artistically speaking, it is the most beautiful race; the dust flying about and riders slowly being split from each other. It is a beautiful race.”

There are big traditions around Grand Prix Herning, that throughout multiple years have been ridden as a pro race and have had many prominent winners. The race has also been a meeting point for people from Herning and other bike-interested people. The race, which has not been done as a pro race since 2013, is now back on the international calendar. The race structure with its gravel pavés is the same as it has always been and will not change.

"From my point of view is Grand Prix Herning still a unique race because the gravel sections are different in this area. Are you, as an example, driving on a random gravel path in Himmerland, it is only if there is a crosswind, it will be a hard section? Otherwise, it is very much just a road with some holes in it. So, from my point of view, it has this magic surrounding it, that you will not find any other places. As the race is getting TV transmitted, it will create further value to the race, and in the long run, it will be big again."

Rasmus Byriel Iversen has done Grand Prix Herning three times earlier, latest in 2019, where the race was the first part of the DENIM Cup. On paper, the race suits his type of rider very well, and he is not hiding the fact that the race has a special meaning to him, and that he looks forward to riding it again.

"It is the race, that ever since I discovered it, have dreamt the most about winning. There are the dynamics in the race, that you know from the spring classics, with a lot of small roads and the element of needing to have some luck to avoid punctures and be amazingly strong to be there in the finale. If you are too far back on a gravel section, you are, to say it bluntly, screwed, if there is an incident in front of you. The peloton is so stretched out, so at times you might feel like you are in a good position in the peloton, but when you then enter a gravel section, and then suddenly you have 200 meters to the front of the peloton. This is just one of those races, where there is stress from the first kilometer because the riders want to be in front on the first pavé. It is simply hard all the way through.

Just as in the spring classics queen, Paris-Roubaix, the weather can mean a great deal for the outcome of the race. For Rasmus Byriel Iversen, the weather is not as important, as he thinks he is good at adapting to all weather conditions. But there is no doubt that the gravel sections are vastly different in dry conditions, as opposed to wet conditions.

"If it has been raining before the race, that sand is quite a bit harder - and thereby maybe a bit heavier but is easier to go through technically. This may mean that there is excretion throughout the race, which is an advantage for the riders with the best endurance. If the weather is dry, it is pure Ragnarök on the gravel sections. If it is totally dry, there is only sand under the gravel, and you can be able to sink into the gravel very suddenly. So, you need to step heavily to keep the pace up if you are not in the right lane. So, the race can be quite different, depending on the weather up to and on the day."

This year's Grand Prix Herning is a UCI 1.2 race and is therefore again a pro bike race. But this is something that Rasmus Byriel does not see as a disadvantage - quite the opposite since the number of riders is equally split throughout the teams. This is different through previous years, where the race has been an A-race. Some of the bigger teams have been able to attend the race with 12 riders, which according to Rasmus Byriel Iversen, can create an odd race.

"That it is a UCI-race is see as an advantage to us because the top of our team is amazingly strong this year. When there are seven riders on each team, there is room for more riders in the front. This will mean a harder fight for position and it will be harder to be right in the front when you enter the gravel segments. When there are fewer riders at the start per team, it will be a more open bike race. There is a different dynamic and some different opportunities because you have to use your power smarter, and every single rider has a more defined role."

That the Herning team is starting at Grand Prix Herning as a DCU team, Rasmus Byriel Iversen does not think is bd for the team either. The status as underdogs will open op more possibilities in the race, and for himself, Rasmus Byriel Iversen hopes to have gotten himself into a position on the team, that will help him fulfill his ambitions for the race.

"We will not go out there and take responsibility, the more underestimated we are, the bigger a benefit for us. The composition of riders we have, means we have a lot of tactical opportunities.  It is a benefit for me if I am at the top of the hierarchy at the start of the season, which may mean that I am lucky enough to have a rider or two to help me or give me a wheel if I have a flat tire. But I am confident that Team Herning Ck Elite will be in the front in Grand Prix Herning."

Much suggests that the Herning team is entering the season with their heads high and a lot of confidence. Rasmus Byriel Iversen also sees a motivated team, where multiple of the riders already have surprised the experienced rider. He hopes that he will be able to share his experiences and help strengthen the riders across the team.

"I see a very motivated team. There is a lot of young riders, but they have surprised me with their strength. A lot of them are already on a level where I think they are strong enough to win A-races. There might be a question about their endurance and maybe their tactical skills. But I hope to help them to use their power right and to teach them to use each other right, to lift each other's levels and possibilities to create great results.

The combination of riders on the team also makes Rasmus Byriels believe in success for Team Herning CK Elite on the roads. All the riders have done well throughout the winter training, and both on physical and virtual training camps made an impression on the earlier pro rider, which makes him confident before the season, where he also hopes to play a part himself.

"I have trained quite a lot with Anders Foldager and Morten Nørtoft throughout the winter, and they have proved to be hard to beat because they are so explosive, but at the same time also are so durable and strong, that they are hard to get rid of. We also have Jonas Nordal Jakobsen and Emil Schmidt, they are almost impossible to beat on the line. They are simply that fast, and if they also have the endurance with them, they will be hard to beat when we arrive at the finish line. Then there is me, and I also have enough strength, that I feel I will be a factor earlier in the race. Altogether we have a combination of riders who will be extremely hard to beat - because of the combination. No matter how the race is terrain-wise, we have a lot of different forces. Forces that play well together and will make us able to play a part in all races; no matter if they end uphill, flat, or is long. We have some that will be there every time. I feel that it is a good year that I entered the team, and I believe we will make it count this year."

”Jeg blev professionel i mine U23 år. Det er allerede meget tidligt, føler jeg. Jeg tror måske ikke rigtigt jeg nåede at vænne mig til det mentalt. Jeg nåede kun lige at køre et par enkelte landsholdsture i det år og jeg nåede ikke at tage et naturligt springbræt. Det var lige fra kontinentalhold, til at stå for næsten det hele selv, til at være professionel. Det var en kæmpe omvæltning, og jeg havde måske haft brug for en mere rolig vej.”

I Italien havde Rasmus Byriel Iversen et rigtig godt træningsmiljø, hvor han havde fokus på at træne rigtig og træne meget. Men han kunne god mærke, at cykelkulturen var anderledes i Italien, end i de trygge rammer i Danmark. Samtidig med det var der også et andet fokus på kosten.

”Hvis den danske kultur er gammeldags, så er den Italienske kultur fra oldtiden. Det er med at gå hen og mærke på ”dellen” og man får at vide du skal tabe sig, før man skal træne. Det er virkelig gammeldags. Det var sådan, at vi fik salat efter træningen for at komme ned i vægt og der så jeg også bare, at jeg begyndte at præstere bedre samtidig med at jeg kunne tabe mig lidt. Det bekræfter ligesom bare den der trang jeg havde til at gå ned i vægt og det skabte bare et endnu mere usundt forhold til mad, hvor at jeg prøvede at spise så lidt som muligt og der var rigtig mange ting der var forbudt, som bare gjorde det var en spiral, som jeg bare dykkede dybere ned i. Det var egentlig der min spiseforstyrrelse begyndte at accelerere, synes jeg. Hvor det begyndte at komme ud af kontrol for første gang.”

Årene som professionel cykelrytter gjorde ikke noget godt for Rasmus Byriel Iversens spiseforstyrrelse, som begyndte at accelerere mere og mere. I efteråret 2020 stod han frem og fortalte om sine udfordringer i et interview med Jyllands Posten. Et følsomt emne om vægtudfordringer i cykelsporten, som på én side er almindelig kendt, men på den anden side alligevel er tabu. Artiklen udkom samtidig med en rapport fra Team Danmark, som dækker over alle elitesportsgrene, hvor det kom frem at over halvdelen af professionelle atleter har problemer eller har en forvrænget spisning.

”Fra et objektivt synspunkt kan man sige at, over halvdelen af professionelle atleter har en spiseforstyrrelse i større eller mindre grad. Behøver den mentale sundhed at gå på kompromis med den fysiske? Jeg fik en platform og en mulighed til at kommunikere dette og jeg tænkte, at nu kunne jeg lige så godt komme ud med det og så bare skabe lidt forståelse for hvor jeg er i dag. Jeg håbede at rykke lidt til debatten og til at flytte fokus i anden retningen end den har været før og måske skabe nogle perspektiver til hvordan det også kan gå med den kultur der er i cykelsporten. At man godt kan være en professionel atlet uden at blive bedømt på sine tal. Min psykolog anbefalede mig egentlig helt fra starten, at jeg skulle prøve at trække stikket, fordi jeg egentlig var kommet så langt ud. Men jeg stod bare midt i et kontraktår, så det kunne jeg ikke bare, hvis jeg gerne ville fortsætte med at være professionel. Så jeg prøvede at få det til at fungere hånd i hånd, men blev lidt svært at balancere med”.

Nu er Rasmus Byriel Iversen tilbage i Danmark og håber at kunne genstarte karrieren på Team Herning CK Elite, hvor han er blevet taget rigtig godt imod. Det giver ham stor motivation frem mod sæsonstarten.

”Det, der holder mig mest nede nu, er den her spiseforstyrrelse. Men jeg har virkelig haft nogle gode rammer hen over vinteren, sammen med Herning Cykle Klub, som er der til at støtte mig. Så det har egentlige bare været det perfekte match.”

Team Herning CK Elite har som forberedelse til sæsonstarten været på træningssamling i et sommerhus ved vestkysten, hvor de har fået kørt godt med rulleskift. Det har givet en helt anden dynamik over træningen, at det nu er muligt at køre flere sammen.

 ”Vi har haft en hård træningsperiode de sidste ugers tid og så lige nogle hårde træningsdage med Herning-holdet her i weekenden, hvor vi fik tømt den sidste energi ud og er klar til sæsonstart. Vi starter med Sydkystens cykelløb den 1. og 2. april. Så er der en hviledag lørdag, inden cykelløbet i Herning den 4. april og Aarhus den 5. april. Sæsonstarten svarer lidt til, at man kører PostNord Danmark Rundt og tager det stille og roligt på enkeltstarten; vi starter ovre nær København og tager til Herning og så til Aarhus. Så der bliver brugt nogle kræfter de dage. Så er man i gang og ved hvordan man står i forhold til alle andre. Det bliver super spændende.”

I sine år som professionel skulle Rasmus Byriel Iversen allerede starte sin sæson i januar, men det er anderledes i år. Her i slutningen marts måned, hvor dette interview er lavet, har han endnu ikke kørt et eneste cykelløb. På papiret føler han, at han er, hvor han skal være. Alligevel går han ydmygt ind til sæsonstarten.

”Jeg møder sæsonen med åbne arme. Det er lidt en anden forberedelse i år, hvor jeg har fokuseret på ikke at bygge for meget træthed op. Jeg prøver at starte sæsonen med så få forventninger som muligt. Det kan hurtigt blive hårdt, hvis du har kørt nogle gode test over vinteren og bare føler det spiller og så bare regner med at skulle ud og være verdensmester. Så kører man det første løb finder ud af, at andre åbenbart også har passet deres vintertræning.”

Som cykelrytter på cykelhold fra Herning, så er der ingen tvivl om hvad der bliver ét af sæsonens allerstørste højdepunkter på hele kalenderen – nemlig Grand Prix Herning. Det er på hjemmebane og flere af rytterne kommer fra Herning-området. Mange er vokset op med cykelløbet og har som barn har været ude på grusvejspavéerne eller har været med til at hjælpe til ved løbet.

”For dem, at komme med til at køre løbet, er det jo også kæmpestort. Så det er uden tvivl et af de allerstørste højdepunkter på hele kalenderen. Det er også et af de løb vi har i Danmark med allermest historie. Det blev jo allerede kørt i 90’erne som UCI løb og på grusveje, før der overhovedet var noget der hed ’gravel’. Løbet har sin helt egen karakteristik og det er på højde med de allerstørste løb i Danmark, måske lige en kategori under PostNord Danmark Rundt og DM - men det er helt deroppe. Det er i mine øjne det største, du kan vinde af endagsløb i Danmark, som ikke er er et DM, fordi det er så karakteristisk – og rent kunstnerisk, er det bare det smukkeste løb og lave billeder fra; med støvet og rytterne som bare ligger én og én og det bliver splittet. Det er et fantastisk smukt løb.”

Der er stolte traditioner omkring Grand Prix Herning, som igennem flere år har været kørt som et professionelt cykelløb og har mange prominente vindere. Løbet har også været et samlingspunkt for herningenserne og andre cykelinteresserede. Cykelløbet, der ikke har været kørt som et professionelt cykelløb siden 2013, er nu tilbage på den internationale kalender. Løbsstrukturen med de mange grusvejsstykker – grusvejspavéerne – er den samme og det skal der ikke laves om på. Sådan har det altid været.

”For mig at se er det (Grand Prix Herning, red.) stadigvæk et specielt løb, også fordi grusvejene bare er anderledes i det område. Kører du f.eks. på en tilfældig grusvej oppe ved Himmerland, så er det kun, hvis der er sidevind, at det kan blive et hårdt stykke. Ellers er det mere eller mindre som at køre på en vej med huller. Så for mig at se, har det stadigvæk den der specielle magi over sig, som man ikke rigtig finder andre steder. I takt med at løbet er begyndt med at blive TV transmitteret, så er det med til at skabe mere værdi til løbet og på sigt, skal det nok blive stort igen.”

Rasmus Byriel Iversen har selv kørt Grand Prix Herning tre gange tidligere, senest i 2019 hvor løbet blev kørt som 1. afdeling af DEMIN Cuppen. Som ryttertype passer cykelløbet på papiret godt til ham og han lægger da heller ikke skjul på, at løbet har en særlig betydning for ham og han glæder sig til at køre det igen.

”Det er det løb, jeg lige siden jeg opdagede det, nok har drømt allermest om at vinde. Der er jo den der dynamik i cykelløbet, som man kender fra forårsklassikerne, hvor der er mange små veje og det element, hvor du skal have en vis portion held for ikke at punktere og være fantastisk stærk for at sidde der i finalen. Hvis man sidder for langt tilbage på en pavée, så er man på røven for at sige det rent ud, hvis der sker et uheld foran én. Feltet bliver strakt så meget ud, så nogle gange kan man side og føle, at man sidder i en god position i feltet, men når man så kommer ind på en pavée og den bliver strakt ud og så har man pludselig 200 meter op til de forreste i feltet. Det er bare sådan et løb, hvor det er stressende fra km. 0, fordi folk bare gerne vil sidde fremme til den første pavée. Det er bare hårdt hele vejen igennem.”

Som i forårsklassikernes dronning, Paris-Roubaix, kan vejret have en stor indflydelse på udfaldet af løbet. Personligt for Rasmus Byriel Iversen betyder vejret ikke det store, da han selv synes, han er god til at tilpasse sig vejrforholdene. Men der er ingen tvivl om, at grusvejenes beskaffenhed er noget anderledes i tørt vejr end i vådt.

”Hvis det har regnet op til løbet, så bliver sandet jo en del hårdere – og dermed måske lidt tungere, men nemmere teknisk at køre igennem. Det gør måske, at der bliver lidt mere udskilning på sigt og dem med udholdenhed kommer til at have en fordel. Mens hvis der er tørvejr, så bliver det rent ragnarok på grusvejene. Har det været knastørt, så er det rent sand der ligger under gruset og man kan synke vildt meget ned lige pludselig. Så skal man træde vildt tungt for at holde farten oppe, hvis du ikke lige har den rigtige bane. Så det er forskelligt hvordan løbet bliver, alt efter vejret op til løbet og på dagen.”

Årets udgave af Grand Prix Herning køres i UCI kategori 1.2 og er dermed igen et professionelt cykelløb. Men det er noget som Rasmus Byriel Iversen på ingen måde ser som en ulempe, snarere tvært i mod, da antallet af ryttere er ligeligt fordelt på holdene. Noget der ikke har været tilfældet i de år, hvor løbet har været kørt som et A løb. Her har nogle af de store hold stillet til start med 12 ryttere, hvilket ifølge Rasmus Byriel Iversen er med til at give et ulige cykelløb.

”At det er et UCI-løb ser jeg som en fordel for os, fordi toppen af vores hold er fantastisk stærk i år. Når der er 7 mand på hvert hold, så er der også plads til flere oppe foran. Dvs. der kommer til at være en hårdere positionskamp og det bliver sværere at komme helt forrest ind på pavéerne. Når der er færre til start (pr. hold, red.), så bliver det et mere åbent cykelløb. Det giver en anden dynamik og nogle andre muligheder, fordi man skal bruge sine kræfter meget mere klogt og hver rytter får en meget mere defineret rolle.”

At Herning-holdet stiller til start i Grand Prix Herning som et DCU-hold, mener Rasmus Byriel Iversen heller ikke er helt dårligt for holdet. Statussen som ’underdog’ kan give Team Herning CK Elite flere muligheder i cykelløbet og selv håber Rasmus Byriel Iversen at have sat sig i en position på holdet, som kan være med til at indfri hans egne ambitioner for løbet

”Vi skal ikke ud og tage ansvar. Jo mere undervurderede vi er, desto større fordel er det for os. Den sammensætning af ryttere vi har gør, at vi har mange taktiske muligheder. Det er en klar fordel for mig, hvis jeg lægger mig øverst i hierarkiet her i starten af sæsonen, så kan jeg jo være heldig at have en rytter eller to, som er der til at hjælpe mig og give mig et hjul, hvis jeg punkterer. Men jeg er helt klart fortrøstningsfuld om, at Team Herning CK Elite kommer til at være fremme i Grand Prix Herning.”

Meget tyder på at Herning-holdet går sæsonstarten i møde med oprejst pande og masser af selvtillid. Rasmus Byriel Iversen ser da også et motiveret hold, hvor flere af rytterne allerede har overrasket den rutinerede rytter. Selv håber han, at han kan give ud af sine egne erfaringer og være med til at styrke holdet på tværs.

”Jeg ser et vildt motiveret hold. Der er en del unge ryttere, men de har virkelig overrasket mig over hvor stærke de er. Mange er allerede på et niveau, hvor jeg vurderer at de er stærke nok til at vinde A løb. Der er måske et spørgsmålstegn i forhold til deres udholdenhed og måske den taktiske snilde. Men der håber jeg at kunne være med til at hjælpe, så de lærer at bruge kræfterne ordentligt og de lærer, at vi bruger hinanden ordentligt, i forhold til at løfte hinandens niveau og hinandens muligheder for at lave gode resultater.”
 
Sammensætningen af rytterne på holdet gør også, at Rasmus Byriel Iversen tror på succes for Team Herning CK Elite på landevejene. Alle rytterne har kørt godt igennem vintertræningen og de har på de fysiske og virtuelle træningssamlinger gjort indtryk på den tidligere professionelle cykelrytter, som gør ham fortrøstningsfuld før sæsonen, hvor han også selv håber selv at være en faktor.

”Jeg har kørt en del over vinteren med Anders Foldager og Morten Nørtoft, som har vist sig at være svære at vinde over, fordi de er så eksplosive, men samtidig også er så holdbare og stærke, at de næsten er umulige at ryste af. Samtidig har vi Jonas Nordal Jakobsen og Emil Schmidt, som bare næsten er umulig at slå på stregen. De er simpelthen så hurtige, og hvis de har holdbarheden med sig, så vil de være svære at slå når vi kommer hjem til stregen. Så er der mig selv, som også har så meget styrke, at jeg føler, jeg vil være en faktor udefra. Samlet set har vi en skare af ryttere, der bare bliver svære at slå - netop på grund af vores sammensætning af ryttere. Lige meget hvordan løbet er sammensat rent terrænmæssigt, så har vi en masse forskellige forcer. Nogle forcer som spiller godt sammen, som gør at vi kan være en faktor i alle cykelløb; både hvis det slutter opad, slutter fladt eller er langt. Vi har nogle, som nok skal være der hver gang. Jeg føler, det virkelig er et godt år, jeg er kommet ind på holdet og jeg tror vi kan drive det til noget i år.”

Selvom Rasmus Byriel Iversen i år ikke kører cykelløb på cykelsportens øverste niveau eller i det hele taget kører på et professionelt cykelhold, betyder det ikke at drømmene om en professionel kontrakt er slukket. Navnet har han skabt sig og nu gælder det om at etablere sig selv igen som cykelrytter – og med aktuelle resultater.

”På sigt drømmer jeg selvfølgelig om at blive professionel igen, fordi jeg tror på, at jeg er god nok. Men igen er det svært at sige, når man ikke har kørt et eneste cykelløb endnu. Jeg kommer til at tage det ét cykelløb ad gangen. Der er en masse muligheder, føler jeg. Den første store satsning er Grand Prix Herning og så er der også DM og flere andre løb. Forhåbentlig får jeg nogle sejre at vise frem, samtidig med at mine tal på papiret er gode, så min agent (tidligere cykelrytter Manuel Quinziato, red.) kan vise det frem til de professionelle cykelhold. Min rolle bliver at klare det så godt som muligt og så er det op til min agent at skabe kontakten og se mulighederne.”

Skulle drømmen om en professionel kontrakt ikke lykkedes, så har Rasmus Byriel Iversen stor fokus på at skabe sig andet indhold i livet end at være cykelrytter. Derfor har han til sommer søgt ind på et studie, som er med til at give ham ro og som er del af en plan om at forme en identitet som ikke ”kun” er ”Rasmus, cykelrytteren”.

”Studiet gør at jeg kommer til at have en ro. Forstået på den måde, at jeg ikke er på røven, hvis ikke jeg bliver professionel igen. Det gør, at jeg kan have cykelsporten som en passion og at det hele bliver lystbaseret og mulighedsbaseret fremfor frygtbaseret. Frygten og angsten for at min eneste kompetence er at være cykelrytter og at jeg derfor ikke har noget som helst andet i mit liv. Det vil sige, at hvis jeg stoppede med at cykle, ville jeg også stoppe med at være mig selv – og det ville jo være det værste der kunne ske. Så jeg sørger for at have et bagland, der er sikkert og som jeg kan hvile i.”

Det er noget som fylder rigtig meget hovedet på Rasmus Byriel Iversen, som mener at man skal dannes som menneske før man bliver professionel og at man har nogle andre ting i sit liv som er vigtige. Han er meget bevidst om, at har man ikke andet indhold i livet end cyklingen, så er der stor risiko for at havne i ”det sorte hul”. Det vakuum, som flere cykelryttere havner i efter et langt liv som cykelrytter, hvor det at cykle har været det eneste i livet og man har tilsidesat alt andet.
 
”Hvis man som 40-årig kun har været cykelrytter og ikke engang har en uddannelse, nogen kæreste eller ikke har nogle venner, som ikke er cykelryttere, så bliver det hårdt lige meget hvad. For man identificerer selvfølgelig sig selv som cykelrytter. Men hvis man stopper og slet ikke har andet, så tror jeg det bliver svært at komme videre fra. Eksempelvis er Brian Holm kæmpe fortaler for, at man skal bo hjemme og at man ikke skal have en kæreste og man skal kun være cykelrytter. Men det er også dem, som vi jo gang på gang ser blive alkoholikere og stofmisbrugere eller begår selvmord, når deres karriere stopper. Det er jo simpelthen skrækkeligt at være vidne til. Nu er Jesper Skibby lige kommet ud med en ny bog (”Engang var jeg Jesper Skibby”, red.), hvor han fortæller om sit stofmisbrug og selvmordsforsøg. Jeg synes det er trist, hvis det er den eneste kompetence man har er at være cykelrytter.”


Even though Rasmus Byriel Iversen this year is not on the top level of the sport or a pro team at all, it does not mean that the dreams of a pro contract are gone. His name is out there, and he is now looking forward to establishing himself as a rider again - and with new results.

"Down the road, I am of course dreaming about becoming a pro again because I do believe I am good enough. But then again, it is hard to say, when you have not ridden a single bike race yet. I will do one race at a time. There is a lot of opportunities, I feel. The big first one is Grand Prix Herning, and then there are also Nationals and multiple other races. Hopefully, I will be able to have some victories to showcase, while my numbers on paper also will be good so that my agent (former bike rider Manuel Quinziato) will be able to show the pro team. My role will be to do everything as well as possible, and then my agent will have to make contact and see the opportunities."

If the dream of a pro contract will not be realized, then Rasmus Byriel Iversen has a big focus on creating other content in his life, besides being a bike rider. Therefore, this summer he has applied to a degree, that is helping him to stay calm and as a part of a plan to form an identity besides "just" being "Rasmus, the bike rider."

The degree will secure me to have ease. Meaning that I will not be screwed if I will not become a pro again. This means I can have the sport as a passion and that it will be based on desire and possibilities, rather than on fears. The fear and ease that my only competence is to be a bike rider and that I will not have anything else in my life besides it. That would mean that if I stopped biking, I would stop being myself - and that would be the worst outcome. So, I will make sure I have some good relations and contacts, that are secure, and I will be able to use."

Something important to Rasmus Byriel Iversen, and that takes up a lot of space on his mind, is that you will have to be formed as a person, before you become a pro, and that you have other things in life, that is also important. He is very conscious that if you do not have other content in your life, besides cycling, there is a big risk to end up in "the black hole." The vacuum that some riders end up in, after a long life as a bike rider, where racing has been the only thing in their life, and they have set aside everything else besides it.

"If you as a 40-year-old only have been a bike rider, and does not have an education, a girlfriend or any friends, that are not riders, it will be hard no matter what. Because of course, you identify as a bike rider. But if you stop, and do not have anything else, I think it will be hard to move on. As an example, Brian Holm is a big proponent for living with your parents, not having a girlfriend, and only being a bike rider. But these are also those riders we time and time again see become alcoholics, drug addicts, or commits suicide when their career ends. This is awful to witness. Jesper Skibby just released a new book, where he talks about his drug addiction and suicide attempt. I think it is sad if your only competence is that use used to be a bike rider."

There are other riders in the pro peloton that have managed to complete an education next to their pro career. Domenico Pozzovivo (Team Qhubeka-ASSOS) managed to do a university degree at the university in Marconi in Rome, where he studied finance. In the Danish scene, Martin Toft Madsen (BHS-PL Beton Bornholm) has done a degree as an engineer, while others have tried to have jobs in their early years. Even though some riders get an education or work experience, the tendency now is that the big teams are writing contracts with incredibly young riders, that have not gotten a degree.

"Jonas Vingegaard (Team Jumbo-Visma) and Michael Valgren (EF Education-Nippo) have, as an example, both worked on a fish auction before the turned pro. This will allow them to have qualities such as waking up early and being busy. But I also see that teams are writing contracts with riders that "are barely even through puberty yet." Riders will start directly from junior, or maybe why will have done one year as a U23 rider. I am excited to see how it will work out. With the experiences I have myself, I do not believe it is healthy to turn pro that fast. It will be hard to keep one's feet on the ground. You are still a child when you are only 18 years old. You might have a drives license and be able to buy beers, but you do not know what life all is about. I think it will be hard to have a long and healthy career that what. But so far, they seem to be doing good, so only time will tell."