How did your winter and preparations for the 2019 season go?
The preparation was pretty good. I started three weeks later than usual, but that's okay. The World Cup also starts later this year.

You will continue to ride Specialized bikes, but in 2019 for your own team, Kulhavy Racing. What made you decide to set up your own team and when did you make that decision? Why didn't you stay with the very successful Specialized Racing team?
Yes, I will ride for my own project in 2019. After the 2019 season, I thought about changes and new motivation. And this combination is perfect. I'm very happy that I can continue riding Specialized. The news from Specialized that they would support me with bikes came quite late - of course I talked to other teams, but nothing was interesting in the end. My own project gives me more freedom and greater motivation.

You are 34 years old. Is this change a bit of a window into Jaroslav Kulhavy's future? Into a career as a team manager, like Thomas Frischknecht, Ralph Näf, Bart Brentjens or others?
Yes, that could be the start of a "future team", but at the moment I still have a lot of goals for this and the 2020 Olympic season. We also need to have reliable partners for 2020.

For you, Cyprus and the Sunshine Cup is a kind of door into the cross-country season year after year. What makes it worth repeating every year?
I love Cyprus and the Sunshine Cup is perfect training before it really gets going. There are also a lot of world ranking points. So it's the best choice. It might sound like a boring program, being in Cyprus every year, but I like it - every stage is fun and nice to ride (smiling).

In 2018 you also rode the Afxentia, as did your Specialized teammate Howard Grotts. You rode against each other in Cyprus, but a few weeks later you won the Absa Cape Epic with him. How important are these days in Cyprus? Do you still discuss things there or do you perhaps get used to each other?
I think it's good to have contact with your partner a few weeks before the Epic. We test our condition, the bikes and other equipment. Competition intensity and contact with the terrain is also very important after the winter.

Last year you won the Cape Epic with Howard for the third time, but after that the season didn't go smoothly. Looking back, what were the reasons for this?
A few things came together, but the main reason was a problem with breathing at maximum intensity. It's quite a problem for the Cross-Country World Cup if you can't give one hundred percent, but only 90 or 95.
And what exactly caused the breathing problem? It looks like it was mainly a muscular problem, which probably started after my last injuries - a broken kneecap and the broken wrist. As a result, there was a problem with muscle imbalance and weakness in the trunk.

Looking ahead to 2019, what is your biggest goal, what is important for you in the upcoming season?
The first goal is the Cape Epic. Then I would like to get my old performance back in the World Cup. And qualifying for the Olympics is also a goal.

Keyword World Cup, what do you think about the new short track format in the World Cup?
Short track changes a lot of things. There are so many riders with ambitions, but you can also be tired for the cross-country race. It's a question of priorities. The XCC format can be good for spectators and it's an opportunity for sponsors when riders ride two races a week.

What have you personally learned about the influence of the short track on Friday evening on the Sunday cross-country race?
Mainly, it changed my last training session before the cross-country race. Normally I have a rest day (Friday), but now it's the short track. So I had to rebuild the last four days before the cross country.

You won gold and silver at the Olympic Games. Are the Games in Tokyo 2020 still an important goal?
Certainly. If I'm healthy, then Tokyo is a very important goal. My program remains almost the same. Cross-country plus a few stage races and marathons. Maybe I'll ride a few more road races for training.