Pro Mechanic Life caught up with Kevin Oliveira between seasons, as he was closing his Girona flat and searching for new digs in Belgium…
“We shape our dwellings, and afterwards our dwellings shape us.”- Winston Churchill
Remember that typical yearbook signing quote that friends would jot down at the end of your school years together? “What a crazy journey it has been”…As cheesy as it sounds, that is exactly how I can sum up my 2019. You ever just find yourself always striving for more? Who’s to say whether it’s a good or bad thing? Are you happy about your choices? Then you’re doing great!
2019 has showed me exactly what the transition of US racing to European racing means. I think too many of us consider too little. There is so much more to all this than the bicycle. In November of 2019, I have reached my goal of signing for a World Tour team, (They’re called World Teams now but that just sounds terrible). When I entered the bicycle industry back in 2012, I knew where I wanted to end up and I kept slogging away at it. I’m now happy to announce that I’m the new Service Course Operations Mechanic for Trek Segafredo, based out of Belgium. From a year in Girona, I find myself moving to Gent, Belgium, for the career change and I’m thrilled to have made it to Flanders, the mecca of cycling.
Girona will always be with me. I definitely fell for the city, the friends I made there, and the acquaintances I’ve made through working so close to some other pro teams. For instance, Israel Cycling Academy, now Israel Start Up Nation, and EF Education First Pro Cycling. They’ve allowed me into their circles respectively and I have made friends throughout those two teams. Emma, Jost, Osis, Arek, Zohran, Josep, Elina, Hubert, You guys are the best. Angel, Luke, Helder, Queiros, Luis, JJ, Tom [Hopper], Michele, Same goes for you guys. There’s another dude I gotta give a special shout-out to, Mike. This dude is a legend, showed me Girona by bike and when I bonked after riding up Sant Grau like an idiot, he left me at the side of the road with his last granola bar while he rode to his van to swing back and pick me up. Thanks dude. That day was epic.
With my departure from Rally UHC Cycling (Now Rally Cycling), I’d like to say thank you for the opportunities that the team has given me. I’ve learned so much throughout the season. I’m gonna miss working with my brother, Jose Sousa, easily one of the best guys I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. Jose, I’m glad we have all these stories now to think back to and laugh. Thanks for being you. The legendary Geoff Brown will replace me there and I have nothing but nice things to say about the man after I spent some time with him in December. Geoff, I wish you the very best for 2020 and beyond, dude. I know that I’m handing the service course that I built over to good hands.
2019 was like a solid race profile, peaks and valleys. Moments of learning, moments of struggle, moments of happiness. It was great to experience and be part of races like the 2019 Giro Di Sicilia, where Brandon McNulty won and was the first North American to ever win there. Tour de Suisse, Tour of Turkey, Paris-Tours, Arctic Race of Norway, such amazing experiences. Onward to 2020. If I may, I’d like to add a special shout-out to my wife and best friend, the kind of person everyone should have in their corner when you’re constantly finding yourself in a different corner all around the world, Katie. Thanks for letting me chase these bikes around the world and being there even when time zones are taxing, ILY.