We just love the video of you HPV racing in the office (link below) – it makes us chuckle each time we watch it! I mean you must be the first person to jump from racing Human-Powered Vehicles (HPV’s) to racing for a WorldTour professional cycling team – how did it happen?  

Actually, I’m not! Rohan Dennis (Garmin Slipstream) and Jack Bobridge (Prior Garmin Slipstream and now with Blanco Pro Cycling) used to race them too, I’m sure there were many others who have ridden them before too! I know that Stuie Ogrady’s (on UCI ProTeam Orica-GreenEDGE) brother still races them!

My story actually started with me training for cycling for the first time ever to race trikes for school in grade 6. And it just got more competitive and followed me right through my development as a cyclist.

After a successful stagiaire opportunity at the end of last season with Garmin-Sharp, what are you most looking forward to about your first season at the sport’s top level?

I’m most looking forward to seeing how I can make my mark and progress in the world tour, at Tour Down Under I showed that I’m able to play a lot of different roles for the team and think I rode well. Overall, I would like to establish my self as one of Garmin sharps sprinters!

As you know, we have a new partnership with Cervelo and are offering our clients R5’s as rental bikes this season.  As an up-and-coming WorldTour sprinter, what are the qualities that you appreciate most about your Cervélo R5 team bike?

It’s really cool about the cervelo’s because the R5’S are such nice bikes! They have such light and stiff frames, the R5 blows all the other bikes I have ever ridden out of the water! Incredibly responsive when you stamp on the pedals, and is also the bike of choice for climbing.

The Cervélo R-Series frames also have a great reputation as comfortable bikes. Is that something that you notice while racing?

It is fantastic, at this stage I’m on the roster for Paris roubaix, and the R5 will absorb all of those cobbles and let me get through with my joints still moving. But also my descending has picked up a level while riding the R5, it handles so well, it feels like your steering on tracks.

Finally, since Ian and Jared haven’t stopped talking about how close they think they were in the town-line sprint they raced with you last July, are you worried at all about a possible rematch now that they’ll have the advantage of Cervélo R5 bikes too? 

For sure I’m worried, the only way I had my slight advantage last year was because I was riding a Cervelo already! The playing field is now level, so anything could happen. This one could make the bookies broke as the chances of winning are now doubled by you guys with your new ultra light and stiff rigs!

And finally, thanks for answering our questions! 

No worries!  I always tell people about La Fuga, and how much of a fun trip I had with you guys!

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