What makes BORA-hansgrohe so special to you in your eyes?
We grew the project from zero. I started my project with an amateur, or junior, road cycling team and grew [it] step-by-step to the World Tour and this is really special compared to different teams.

After your cycling career finished, did you always want to staying cycling or did you have other plans?
I had a very, very small cycling career, but I had a good opportunity to stop when I was 23. I also opened my own bike store. To promote this bike shop, I built an original cycling team. This was the main idea behind my first cycling team - to promote my own shop. And then, I felt I have much more passion to manage a team than to sell bikes.

You’re very humble by saying you had a small career, but do you miss the competing every single week?
If you are not winning races, you don't miss competing! I was not a big winner. I did some amateur races on some days, but not like the Classics or The Tour de France. I was not good enough - that was a simple explanation.

What do you enjoy most about your role as team manager to BORA-hansgrohe?
You learn every day. This is for life. And if you run a company [or] if you run a cycling team, you have so much feedback for what you can bring into your normal life and that's really interesting for me. Every day we have new challenges to manage and this is what I like - directly speaking to the guys. It doesn't matter [if they are] a rider, a mechanic, a visitor or a chef - it doesn't matter; to work with people of different departments. And in the end, it's a pro cycling team as well as well as a big kindergarten.

What would you say your best achievements are as a manger - what are you most proud of?
For me, a proud moment was the two-time World Champion, and current World Champion, Peter Sagan signing with me, with my organisation. At that time, I was just second division so this was really a proud moment. He believed in my project and he trusted me. On the other hand, for sure, the win of his third title in Bergen – this was one of the nicest moments for me.

Why do you have such a huge passion for cycling?
I have had no other chance or no big chances in my life to do other things. First, I was a rider then I moved directly to the business world, then I work in my bike shop. Cycling for me is 24/7 and if you have no passion, you cannot do 24/7 cycling. Maybe I have [had] no chances to do other things [but] I love what I do.

What are your ambitions for BORA-hansgrohe?
For the team we have quite a big ambition. We've already won The World Tour, we’ve won Paris-Roubaix, one of the biggest one-day races. We could improve in the Grand Tours. We improved last year already, some days in the yellow, some days in the maglia rosa and maybe one day to grab the jersey in Paris or Milan - that would be a goal for my side.

Have there any been any disappointments that you've learned from in particular?
Not disappointment, but some learnings. The generation of each of the riders right now, between 20 and 30, is different to what I am. And you have to manage - this is a different generation, with different topics, with different skills. And you cannot compare [them] to other generations like me or ones behind me. This is a challenge - to find the right words for the younger people, to young riders.

Are you proud of the culture you've helped create at BORA-hansgrohe and is it really a true Band of Brothers?
Yeah, because this is not just a marketing slogan. This [mantra] must really create a team internally. And we see this now. We have now the corona [virus] underneath and the team is absolutely together with all the partners and all the employees and the riders. It’s a really good feeling. I'm super optimistic when we start racing again we are from day one as successful as we were in our last race, Paris-Nice, as we are in 2020.

We know about Daniel Oss being a talented bass player. What about any other people in the team with hidden musical talents? Are you a good singer, Ralph?
I don't know, I'm really not talented. I know Daniel has some skills, but I don't know. I think Daniel is the best in our team for music.

You said you'd be ready to race until Christmas this year, but what would be the perfect sporting Christmas gift?
To win a Monument. To win and a Monument would be a big Christmas gift - and to have a Tour podium!

BORA-hansgrohe is famous for its music around the team bus. What song would describe or capture the spirit and culture of the team?
We have different riders and sometimes there's a small conflict on which type of music we play in front of the fans. But every rider can have two songs in our playlist and now we have our own team playlist with favourite songs of each rider. So then there is a good mix and a good harmony in this group.

Are there are songs that you remember in particular?
I'm not a music fan - I drive my car with the radio on. But what I like is the music they play in Majorca – party music!

What can Eurosport viewers expect to learn from the Band of Brothers documentary on Saturday?
I think to run a team or to have a team, it's much more. It's much more tough to pin up the numbers and go away from the bus to the start line. It's a big infrastructure built behind the professional cycling team and there are a lot of people. [You need] to be calm and straight be honest. You have to create a good team atmosphere with our values: We are brave. We are responsible. We are loyal. We are authentic. Some really [good] team values. And you have to always move forward as an example to bring the group together. You stay as a band of brothers and move forward from that - this is super important. And to not just be employees but [to form] friendships. And this is super important in the team.

Sagan Saturday (all times CEST, check local listings for programming information)
14:00-15:30 - 2016 Tour of Flanders
15:30-17:00 - 2017 UCI Road World Championships
17:00-18:30 – 2018 Paris-Roubaix
18:30-19:00 – Sagan & Co: Band of Brothers