Home » Top Stories » Road »

Johnson returns to the U.S., signs with Jittery Joe's

Published: Oct. 26, 2004
Homeward bound: Johnson plans on a domestic schedule for 2005
Homeward bound: Johnson plans on a domestic schedule for 2005
Photo: Andrew Hood

It was big news last fall when American Tim Johnson was presented withthe opportunity to ride for the Division I Saunier Duval team in Spain.But a year later, with a tough season behind him, Johnson is heading home for good.

Having passed on the second year of his contract, Johnson will instead join up with the small U.S.-based Jittery Joe’s-Kalahari team and race a largely domestic schedule for 2005.

Johnson is quick to note that his is “not a step down,” adding that he decided that he wanted to enjoy himself again and “that just wasn’thappening where I was this year.” In addition to a return to domestic roadracing, the 27-year-old also plans to jump back into the mud, taking uphis first love, cyclo-cross, the discipline in which he scored a bronzemedal in the U-23 race at the 1999 world championships in Poprad, Slovakia.

“Racing as a pro on the road in Europe was something I always wanted,”Johnson said. “It’s like going to a dance, seeing someone you really wantto get the nerve to introduce yourself to and then… well, finding out thatit isn’t going to work out, after all.”

For the Jittery Joe’s-Kalahari team, the signing is a big score. Havinglost Cesar Grajales to Navigators, the team was “without a strong GC leader,”said team manager Micah Rice.

“Cesar had a great year for us this season,” Rice said. “Second overallat Redlands, and getting a stage at the Tour of Georgia is super, but Timadds a whole new dimension to our roster. Cesar is a pure climber and excelledat that. Tim is much more rounded rider and will also bring a real senseof leadership to the team.”

VeloNews had an opportunity to speak with Johnson as he announcedhis new plans for 2005.

VeloNews: When and why did you make a decision to give up a Europeanpro deal to come back to race in the U.S.?

Tim Johnson: I don’t think there was any one single day whenI woke up and made the decision to come back. It was kind of forming throughoutthe second half of the year. I had a terrible year on the bike and thatreally affected my outlook in general, but there were a lot of things thatled me to conclude that this just wasn’t going the way I had been hoping.Finding another option was what I decided I needed to do, just for my ownwell-being if for no other reason.

VN: But you had a two-year contract, didn’t you?

TJ: I did. It was a great deal and (Saunier Duval director) MauroGianetti gave me a great opportunity. (see "Johnsonto sign with Saunier Duval") I really wanted to give it my bestand make a big contribution to the team, but it really wasn’t working out,so the decision not to go back for the second year really wasn’t that difficultfor me.

VN: What were looking for when you started looking back to theU.S. then?

TJ: I was looking for a chance to play an important role on ateam. That’s really what I will have on Jittery Joe’s. One of the reasonsI got into cycling – and the reason I am still in it – is that I love thesport and I love to be able to compete; I love to be able to attack andto be a factor in a race. For me to come back is not a step down at all.The racing in the U.S. is really nothing to sneeze at. I can’t tell youhow many times my teammates on Saunier Duval were so impressed with thespeed in Georgia, the difficulty of the courses or the size of the crowdsin San Francisco.

I’m not coming back to the U.S. to do industrial park crit’s, that’sfor sure. I’m coming back to the U.S. to race and to race in the way Ilove to do. Jittery Joe’s offers that. I’ve known these guys for a coupleof years now. I think they really want to take a step up and put togethera solid team. For Micah to give me that opportunity, I am really grateful.I think this will be a great year.

VN: What will be your role on the team?

TJ: I will be the GC leader. When I left in 2003, I was juststarting to learn how to race and how to win. When I carried that throughthe fall of ’03 and carried that into my contract for 2004, that’s thelast memory I have of racing in the U.S.

I want to pick up where I left off, so I will be leading the team forRedlands and Sea Otter and Tour de Georgia…. Which, as you know, is inJittery Joe’s backyard. The team and the main sponsor are based in Athensand the new co-sponsor, Kalihari, is a South African company, but it’sU.S. headquarters are in Atlanta.

Everybody in Georgia loves the team.

VN: Do you ever see yourself going back to Europe?

TJ: Definitely. Without a doubt. Absolutely… but not ona road bike.

VN: Really?

TJ: Well, sometimes you look back and wonder what you might havemissed in life by taking one turn as opposed to the other. Obviously, Igave up my love of cyclo-cross to concentrate on doing well on the road.If you find yourself in difficult times, you start thinking about the thingsthat made you really happy before and one of those things, for me at least,was cyclo-cross.

It’s pretty hard to watch the races right now and realize that I amnot there… but I will be there next year. My big goal is to get back into‘cross full time and then see just how far I can go in the internationalscene.

VN: And Jittery Joe’s supports that?

TJ: Totally. They are 100-percent behind me on that. They realizethat’s a part of what I am and they support that. Racing on the road, Ican give it 100 percent during the season and when fall comes around, I’lljump on the knobby tires and give it a whirl there, too.

VN: You’ll be doing the domestic side as well?

TJ: For ‘cross? Oh yeah, definitely. I will have to take babysteps on that front. A couple of years off the ‘cross bike and watchingthe competition, it’s not going to be easy at all… here or there.

VN: Are you doing any this season, then?

TJ: No… but I had one of the best days I’ve ever had on a biketwo weeks ago. I did a ‘cross practice in Hamilton, Massachusetts, withall my friends. This is the same ‘cross practice that I used to lead. Iwent back and borrowed a bike from cyclocrossworld.com and it was justawesome. I spent the day ripping it up, doing wheelies and showing peoplehow to do ‘cross and it just made me realize how much I love the sport.

VN: Even though this was a tough year, you did have a few thingsgo well. Did getting married (to Lyne Bessette) factor into your decision?Are you going to be spending more time together this coming season?

TJ: Of course, that was a big factor. It was tough with her herein Canada and me being based in Girona (Spain). It's really hard to bebased on two different continents. Last year was kind of special in thatLyne was doing the Olympics and it was my first year as a pro in Europe,so a lot of things were tough from the get go. Still we were able to rendezvouza couple of times and then there were a few times when we planned to hookup and couldn't pull it off.

To be able to be together is something pretty important and that wasa big part of the decision. So we'll both be based here in Quebec likewe were when we were on Saturn. I'm looking forward to that.