Jure Kocjan moves to the Euskaltel team for 2013 and becomes one of several new recruits who are not from the Basque region. The squad has previously only hired riders from that area but was forced to update its policy in order to stay in the WorldTour next season.
Kocjan joins the team from Team Type 1 on the back of a very credible season.
“This is a great opportunity,” Kocjan told BiciCiclismo when talking about his new team.
“I had many options. In late 2011 for example, I had offers to enter the WorldTour but I felt very comfortable with Team Type 1 and wanted to be with the team for another year. But now it’s time to step up a level and be part of Euskaltel-Euskadi. I think it's a team where I can develop my potential, especially in the races that I like.”
Kocjan won two races this season, both being stages in the Tour du Limousin, and had a further seven top ten placings.
“Races that suits me best are the classics. I have no trouble getting over the short climbs. I won’t be the best when the climbs are too long but on the short ones I don’t have a problem holding on. I'm not a pure sprinter so I can’t always win on a completely flat finish but if the sprint is uphill, I enjoy fighting for victory. It's my favourite kind of finish.”
Kocjan comes from Slovenia, where cycling is on the rise. The country has had less than a handful of professionals on WorldTour teams in the past but next year the 28 year old will join the likes of Janez Brajkovic (Astana), Borut Bozic (Astana), Simon Spilak (Katusha), Kristjan Koren (Liquigas-Cannondale) and Grega Bole (Lampre).
Fellow countryman Robert Vrecer also joins Euskaltel next year while Marko Kump turns professional with SaxoBank-Tinkoff Bank and Luka Mezgec with Argos Shimano.
“Cycling in Slovenia is improving greatly each year. Right now, cycling is growing in popularity among people. We only have two or three continental teams but there are a large number of cyclists and also good quality young talent. I think we will have more and better equipment in the future. I am very optimistic,” said Kocjan.