Fast- forward six months to the Criterium Du Dauphine, for two days Daniel Lloyd and his Garmin-Cervelo team drove the bunch along. Watching on Euro-sport the commercial breaks came and went and still the poker faced Lloyd sat on the front. But each day as the finale loomed and Garmin-Cervelo faded, the man for whom all the work was being done, Tyler Farrar, was nowhere to be seen. Not his fault perhaps? After all, other teams had their tactics, cycling is not so predictable. Had Farrar taken a win, perhaps Lloyd’s stock would be higher? It’s the nature of team sport, good individual performances get lost in defeat, just as poor performances can be hidden in victory.

Jump forward another 5 months, it’s the first frost of a very mild autumn on the south coast and I am out on the bike with Lloyd again. There is no tempo this time, it’s just a ride and a chat and with no contract for next season Lloyd is contemplating retirement. The door remains slightly ajar with one last opportunity, When will he hear?

“I don’t really know it’s the final chance really, at least with a top level team” Is he fed up? “I have got past the point of being pissed off that I cannot carry on; though I think next year when the racing starts it will hit me. I am pissed off that I have not got a final yes or no; it kind of stops you from continuing on. I like riding the bike but if anything the last couple of weeks has taught me I like riding it to get as fit as I can, I don’t just like riding, I have had plenty of opportunities to go out but I cannot be bothered to go out. For me the whole thing of riding is having that plan for the next 4 to 8 weeks to stick to and trying to get better. It’s hard to stick to an 8 week plan, I don’t even know if I will be racing!

What about racing at a lower level?
“Not straight away, no I will leave it 2 or 3 years, so I don’t have the same expectation and other people don’t have the same expectations”

In light of recent comments from Hushovd, I ask him about the Garmin team, what it was like?
“I enjoyed it the whole way through; I got on well with the staff, directors and riders. I think, you know, our group as a whole, Cervelo did not seem to fit in with the management, as there is only one who has been re-signed. (Andreas Klier) None of us really know, the 5 of us that came from Cervelo that have not signed for next year, what the problem was. Back in April, May we were asking about next year and the feedback was all very positive we don’t know what changed between then and the end of the season. In May I was a bit worried about my race programme, I hardly had any days of racing in June, July & August. I wrote to the Director, I don’t complain too much but only had 12 days of racing in 3 months; I could have done with some more racing. The team were aware of Lloyds concerns “If you are worried about next year, you don’t need to be” he was told “When you have just had a kid it’s something you want to hear” (Daniels son Jude was born in April) “If you hear something like that and you are happy with the team you are with it stops you looking round for another place”

In hindsight was it the wrong thing to hear?
“Yeah, I mean it did not change my work ethic or attitude on the bike in training or racing or wanting to do my best. But it changed me in respect of responsibilities with a house and family and keeping a job, you start putting feelers out early, before we found out that Leopard Trek were merging with RadioShack and before HTC were definitely going. By the time I started to get the drift that actually there might not be a place for me, that had all happened and there were loads of riders on the market. Managers were waiting to see which riders they could take from those teams. I am certainly not bitter and not blaming anyone, I realise there are loads and loads of riders at my level, I have no right to stay here, if you are Wiggins or Cavendish you have a right to stay in cycling but at my level there are a lot of other people who have the same power, maybe not the same knowledge & experience but they can gain that and they are cheaper when they are younger”

Uncomfortably honest as always but it will be a shame if that experience is lost to the sport.
“I was still learning as well, you do see a lot of young riders coming through who have all the power in the world; I wish I had that talent. In terms of helping a leader though, timing is as important as anything in terms of being there at the right time, if you are not there at that moment all that power cannot help”

By now we had stopped for Coffee in the Hampshire town of Ringwood. It was market day and we looked slightly out of place in our cycling kit in the busy coffee house. We manage to find a table on which we both put our smart phones, mine to record the conversation, Dan’s, in the hope that it would ring, I notice that the screen on his phone is all smashed up? “I don’t know whether it was because I was stressed out at the end of the year but I came off in training and broke my phone. It was stupid; I was constantly looking at my phone in training. I kept thinking the next email was going to be the one with more positive news, a gust of wind caught my front wheel and I just ended up on the floor and smashed my phone, I was so pissed off” he says ruefully. “When you are a pro you don’t really mind crashing, yes it hurts but as long as it’s not your fault you accept it. When you crash in training and it’s completely your own fault, it’s so annoying”

I take him back to when Cervelo was absorbed by Garmin, was he relieved to be taken on when other riders were not?
“I actually had another couple of options, I could have gone to other teams last year, and there were two fairly solid offers on the table. That’s the thing you know, if you are in a successful team like Cervelo was or HTC when it folds all the other teams come in like vultures and see who they can get. It’s almost better to be in those teams, I don’t think out of those two teams anyone has been out of a job for the last two years. When you are in a team that doesn’t fold there is no way for other teams to know you are available. There is not really a transfer system. They assume you are under contract, by the time they realise you are out of contract they have filled their rosters!

Daniel Lloyd is a hugely likeable guy, after more than 8 years as a full time rider I cannot imagine he has made one enemy in the pro peloton. Why does he think he has no contract next year?
He starts to talk about less places being available but he tails off “…I’m not really sure, it’s another surprising thing from within the Garmin team, I had the support of a lot of the riders, big riders in the team respected what I did as a team member and gave me support towards the management, you start to think you must have done something seriously wrong if they’re not going to take me when I have this much backing, I don’t know, you can speculate all day.”

I take him back further, to when he first went abroad to France to race in 2002, was he nervous?
“I was, I had done half a year with Russell Downing out there and got a bit of a hammering really, even though I had had a good first part of the season back here, I had won a few races”
And if he does retire what are the highlights?
Tour De France obviously, it’s not everyone who gets to race and finish it. The Tour of Flanders, that’s the one I really always look forward to” Lloyd has been on the scene a long time, I suggest that a lot of that time he has gone unnoticed, does he feel ignored in the press “I’m not really bothered about it you know, I never did cycling for the money or to get into the press. I wanted to do the big races and get better every year and achieve personal goals that I had within the sport and one of them was not to get as much press as I could. It’s just not me, I not happy with self-promotion, perhaps in hindsight it would be better, and my name might be in managers heads a bit more. When I first joined Cervelo, I did well and there was a lot of respect for the work that I did. They rewarded it with a two year contract. I really got into the role of helping others and was hoping that would continue for quite a few years. It’s a bit like living your dreams through your son or daughter in some ways. I got to the point where I knew I could not win a mountain stage in the Giro and I can’t win the Tour of Flanders but I have teammates who are well capable of doing it so I can be part of it. How fantastic it must be to be part of the world championship squad, everyone talks about how much of a team performance that was, they can all look back at it and be part of the team that won the worlds for Great Britain in 2011! The pleasure that Wiggins and Millar and all the others got that day is what I get.”

Does he want to stay in cycling?
“I really want to stay in the racing side of the sport, I don’t want to stop racing but I may not have any choice. I love racing at a high level and when I get home and there is a race on tele, I will watch that as well” There are a few different directions to go, it’s just choosing the right one”
It’s easy for me to urge him to carry on, to continue to chase the dream, but Lloyd knows that at the end of every month the rent has to be paid. Two years with a smaller team may put him two years behind in another career “It’s difficult” he says.

No doubt other doors will open for Dan, he has ideas and there are opportunities out there.
“Because I had not planned on finishing right now, I have not got a definitive plan of what I want to do afterwards. It might be boring but what am I going to do next that’s not boring in comparison?”
When we leave the café, the early chill is gone, it’s a familiar route home but there is no urgency. We even go off-road, a short cut across the meadows, some “rough stuff”, just for a laugh.

A day later Dan sent me a text:The door that was ajar had closed!

Originally published on :

http://blog.sportsmassagebournemouth.co.uk

Not only does Alex excel on the track but he is a distinguished road rider at junior level, being the current Australian U19 time trial champion. Still only 17 years old, Alex has time on his side and is still eligible to compete at the 2012 Junior worlds. We had a chat with the modest Victorian when he’d settled back into school fresh from his world junior title triumph.

Congratulations on your rainbow jersey. How does it feel to be World Champion AND a world record holder?
Thanks, I can’t really describe it! It’s just simply amazing to know that all that hard work has paid off!

I first met at the Aussie track nationals on the day Jack Bobridge produced that stunning ride to break the world record in the IP. I was impressed with your attitude and commitment to the sport. Which Aussie track rider has been a role model to you and given you the impetus to be a world champ yourself?
Luke Durbridge has been a big inspiration to me because I admire his road time-trial ability and the way he was able to translate that onto the track in the team pursuit as I have done myself.

Describe what it was like in the build up to the final, were you nervous? What goes through your head in those 4 minutes?
We were all nervous but at the same time confident that we could do it after qualifying first comfortably. All that was going through my head was making sure I had a solid start and got onto the back of the boys perfectly as the start is definitely not my strong point.

How do you warm up and prepare for the Team Pursuit?
We use rollers and have a set warmup which includes some efforts to get the heart rate up and get the body ready for the big task ahead.

At what point were you aware you had become a World Champion? It must have been a mixture of emotions – a world record and a world title?
I became confident that we could win at 3 laps to go (1km to go in Moscow) when I could see the Russian team out of the corner of my eye, but did not believe it until we crossed the finish line. It was the most amazing feeling ever, a mixture of relief and happiness, topped off with complete exhaustion!

Were your family there to see it? If not how did they find out?
Unfortunately my family weren’t there to see it, I let them know straight after through a text message.

Who has been most pivotal in your career up until this point?
It’s not fair to name one person as so many people have played different parts in getting me to where I am. Coaches, state institute, family, friends and more! There’s just too many people to name!

After your World championship debut you headed more than 10,000 miles to the Isle of Man where you were selected for the Youth Commonwealth Games. You continued your good form with an amazing three gold medals (time trial, team time trial and road race). What are your plans for the remainder of the season?
I’ve been looking forward to the Youth Commonwealth Games since I was selected a couple of months ago. I was lucky enough to carry on the good form. I shall now most likely take a short break and then re-assess where I’m going and what I want to do with my career.

Have you slept in the rainbow jersey yet?? Its ok you can tell us!!
I didn’t take it off until I went to bed actually, even did drug testing in it! Wasn’t game enough to sleep in it though, just hung it in front of my bed so I could stare at it!

The Aussies have a great tradition of outstanding team pursuit results. What, in your opinion, does it take to make a good pursuit quartet?
I believe that you must have a team that will do anything for one another, a team that are practically brothers. We ride as one and do everything together. We have spent so much time together it’s quite weird coming home and not being together anymore!

How deep did you have to go during that 4 mins of pursuit?
I don’t think I’ve ever dug that deep before, especially the kilometre, all that was going through my head was “don’t drop that wheel!”

All being well, you have a great career ahead of you. What would you like to accomplish in future?
As much as I’d love to speculate my main goals at the moment are just to keep my head down and keep getting the results to get me higher in the world of cycling.

You are now a Bike Pure role model. What does that mean to you?
To me being a Bike Pure role model is the perfect way to promote a clean sport, especially along my peers who are coming through to the next level of the sport.

A big thank you to Alex for taking the time to do this interview, we wish him every success in future. You can also follow Alex on Twitter here.

photos courtesy of jxpphotography.com

From all of us from Bike Pure, we would like to thank John-Lee for taking time off his busy schedule to do this interview for us.

You are the first South African to have signed a contract with Team Sky, how did you feel at that moment when the management offered you a contract?
Its obviously a dream come true as it’s my first Pro Tour team and honored to be part of such a new big team.

Many youngsters look up to you for what you have achieved over the last few years, what advice do you have for the upcoming future champions?
The road is never easy! You will have good days and very bad days. You always have to keep on moving forward. We have our family and friends to help support us through the bad patches always!

Looking back on the 2011 Tour de France, we only saw one positive drug test from Kolobnev, from your own perspective, do you believe that we are winning the battle for a drug free cycling?
I am very sure its getting there! Slowly but surely!

You recently underwent hip surgery in Cape Town that forced you to stay off the bike for quite some time, what are your plans for the rest of the season?
I broke the neck of my femur 4 years ago in Tour of Portugal, I had a pin put in and then had it removed about 2 years later as it was giving me problems but I am pretty much sure that is where the Osteonecrosis started at the head of the femur. For a while I have had some strange symptoms and pains so then after our first training camp it seriously started getting worse. I had a MRI scan done and that’s when we saw I have Osteonecrosis to the head of the femur. So I went down to Cape Town to have a “Birmingham hip resurfacing” done. I am fully recovered now and training normally again. My plans are just to get in as much races as I can to try and get the racing fitness back again. I am on reserve for a couple of races and one of the targets will be Tour of Beijing.

Many athlete’s says no to doping and recently the Institute for Drug Free Sport South Africa launched “Play Fair – Say No To Doping” campaign, what’s your views on athlete’s using drugs to perform well?
I have a passion for the sport and will always have and when I achieve something I feel proud of myself that I know I did it clean! To be a cheat you just make a fool of yourself.

Athlete’s within the South African cycling community says that more testing should be considered at major races such as league, stage races etc, do you agree with this?
Yes its true that they can do more testing but we get tested a lot already.

Most of the cycling fans in South Africa are standing behind you, who would you say is your mentor, supporter and inspiration when it comes down to your cycling?
I know there are a lot of people that support me and stand behind me, it really helps a lot with motivation and inspiration. But without my parents I would not be where I am now!!!  My wife also plays a big role in supporting me!

There are a lot of talented riders in the peloton that stand out, who would you say stand out the most?
There are a lot of young riders that stand out! Edvald Boasson Hagen, Geraint Tomas, Marc Cavendish has to be one of the top and the list can just carry on.

What message do you have to all of your fans out there?
Never stop believing!

John-Lee Augustyn can be followed on Twitter @JLAugustyn as well as Team Sky @TeamSky or like Team Sky’s page on Facebook for regular updates, pictures as well where fans can leave a message.

We wish John-Lee Augustyn all of the best with the rest of the cycling season.

Many will remember the iconic image of Holloway that was taken by Lyne Lamoureux’s of Podium Insight as he pulled on the stars and stripes jersey of US Pro crit champion.

Fast forward 12 months and Holloway is all set to defend his title with his Kelly Benefit Strategies team in Grand Rapids, Michigan on August 20th.

It’s been an eventful year for 24 year old Hollywood, having won two stages of the Tour of Americas Dairyland event in June, he has suffered some saddle sores recently but feels he’s back on track for the championship, “The form is good, I’m not 100% but good enough to repeat if I ride smart and use my head, we have an amazing team at Kelly Benefit Strategies and honestly any of our guys can win the jersey.”

The championship course consists of a downtown circuit in the heart of Grand Rapids and is set to be held there for the next two seasons. Commenting on the circuit, Holloway said, “The course seems like a straight forward eight corner downtown crit with a long sprint. It’s going to be a fast race with lots of attacks and I’m looking forward to it!”

Tomorrows event will see a major change in the rules regarding the participation of foreign international riders. It will be the first time that a US only contingent of riders will contest the right to wear the stars and stripes of criterion champion. This rule change shows the way the sport has evolved and progressed in the US over recent years and it’s a welcome move.

As for the remainder of the season, Holloway is aiming to ride as many events as possible in the US and is awaiting confirmation of riding with the team in Asia before the end of 2011.

Holloway also has a passion on the track boards having raced them from an early age. He has also previously ridden 6 day races, “I’m up for the six-day season ahead. It’s always am honour to wear the stars and stripes. It’s never easy to get and it’s nice see the work pay off for the Nationals.”

We wish Daniel a successful remainder of the season and the very best for tomorrows US title race.

You can follow Daniel on Twitter @The_Hollywood

His 2011 season was cut short during this years Giro d’Italia when he crashed badly, resulting in a compound fracture of his hip and an enforced period of up to three months off the bike. After undergoing surgery to repair the damage, Marco is finally turning the pedals again in the hope of a full recovery.

We fired some questions over to Marco….

Italy has a historic passion for cycling, at what age did the sport become apparent to you and how did you get into it?
I have been always passionate about the sport of cycling. My Grandparent was a fan of cycling. He died in 1992 and that year when I was 16 years old I started racing. It was suggested to me by my school mate Matteo Algeri, son of Pietro, a popular director sportive. From that moment my passion grew.

Many young riders enter the sport with little to fall back on should they not reach their goal of a successful career in sport. You, unlike many,  have a degree in engineering, tell us more about that.
When I have started racing and achieving good results, my parents never encouraged me to go on with cycling. They wanted me to study. I liked both and did both until I graduated in engineering. Going to school was one of the things I loved the most and I was really proud of my degree, achieved it in 5 years, what at the time seemed impossible to achieve for a normal student, not to mention for a professional bike rider.

You joined the pro ranks as a stagaire in August 1998, off the back of the ‘Festina’ doping scandal that hit that years Tour. How did the negative publicity of it affect you?
It was a hope that cycling was facing its biggest problems and fighting the sport’s major disease. I thought it was a good thing because things had to change afterwards.

1999 was your first full season as a pro. You also rode your first Tour de France that same year finishing 113th overall, 2 hours 40 behind eventual winner Lance Armstrong. What are your memories of that first Tour and how did riding it affect the remainder of that season?
I have beautiful memories. I entered the Tour with no ambition and did a good race. I did nothing special but to finish and I was super proud of myself. I remember I was still good after those three weeks, but physically I was just tired. I did race the following week with good performance, but outside I was just trying to sleep as much as possible.

There is much talk lately of the idea there should be a separate independent body that overlooks all doping controls, completely separate from the UCI and national federations. We have seen discrepancies between the decisions made by different national anti-doping bodies and if ’national pride’ is a factor in these decisions, would you agree with the implementation of a separate body?
Yes certainly, that would be ideal to have an independent body that would manage the doping positive cases and even the controls themselves. But who pays for the independent body? Will it really be independent then? Those are the real questions. I think it is important to realise that it is in the long term interest of every part involved (athletes, sponsors, media, educators, governing bodies etc) that respecting the rules is the RIGHT thing to do for the new generations and the development of the sports as a whole.

Cycling is lambasted as a being a ‘doping sport’ by many onlookers but it is at the forefront of anti-doping compared to all other sports. The simple equation is -  the more you test riders, the more positive tests will come to light, so it has become a victim of its own success to a degree. Would you agree?
I don’t agree. For an athletes perspective it is a success through hard and necessary steps. Closing eyes in the name of short term view and success would be a dramatic failure in the long term and would seriously harm the wealth of all the parties involved.

The UCI recently released proposals at banning riders who test positive from entering a career within the sport once they retire. Although a good proposal, once you look into it it comes with many conditions. What are your thoughts on this?
I haven’t looked at the proposal in great detail, but it has to be discussed at a point that it can be another good weapon to prevent the use of performance enhancing drugs in sport.

Many cycling fans aren’t familiar with the fact that pro riders contribute part of their salary to anti-doping. Can you give us an insight as to your anti-doping efforts off the bike and what your team does on an anti-doping level.
As a rider, 3% of our salary goes to the team to pay an external agency (the one run by Oliver Catlin) to test us in and out of competition and whenever and on whatever.
2% of the prize money goes to the UCI to contribute to anti doping. Off the bike I try to teach that shortcut are never beneficial.

You’ve ridden for some high profile teams throughout your career and have been at the US based HTC Highroad for the last number of years. The team visited the US earlier in the year, how is the reaction amongst US fans to pro cycling there and what was your lasting memory of the trip?
US fan are generally less educated with cycling and I like their higher enthusiasm for the sport. The races are always well organised in terms of safety and ability to promote the event. The last trip was a training camp in Westlake, CA, where I found out one of the best places to ride your bike.

Its tough being a pro and the effect it has on you as you mature are interesting. Would you say you are a different rider now to when you started as a young pro?
Yes I am definitely. In the end it is always about riding your bike as fast as you can, but now I know how to train and I know how to race properly without being scared or worried about results. I focus only on what I can do, avoid negative feelings and the rest comes by itself.

Do you still have your own coach or mentor?
Yes I do have a good coach and a mentor to who I talk with when I have some troubles.

Which up and coming young rider impresses you most?
Peter Sagan is for sure one of the youngest riders who is winning a lot.

You’ve had a lengthy enforced spell off the bike recovering from your horrendous accident and have recently got back on the bike. What is planned in the next few weeks and months?
I hope to fix all the physical issues coming out after the injury and come back to that fitness level I had previously. My aim is to peak for London 2012 where I dream to do the Olympic TT.

We’re sorry to hear about the closure of team HTC, its a huge loss to the sport. There’s something wrong when a team with the most victories can’t secure a major backer. What are your thoughts on this?
It is a lesson that we all have to look into and prevent it from happening in the future. It leaves some open questions. I wonder what any potential sponsors are looking for to make investments in cycling.

From Dany Blondeel of the Belgian project in N. Ireland: Have you ever been tempted to use some performance enhancing stimulants, or presented with them due to peer pressure of the teams you have been involved with and what did HTC Highroad have in place to prevent this?
I have been when I was an amateur. My father prevented me and acted like a real man of values. Highroad was really careful in scouting and selecting riders with certain moral values. Highroad also set up an external anti doping agency to perform additional testing on us.

from Martin Wolfram: We saw you posted some images of the food you were eating when you were in hospital. Could let us know what kind of food you enjoy outside of the hospital?
I like all that my wife cooks!

From Paul Harte: I have one hero in the current ProTour peleton – Marco Pinotti!! I wish him all the best and a speedy recovery.  I would love to know more about his training. How does he train for a big time trial, World and national championships? Any specific sessions he does?
I take the length of the time trial and cut it into 6 to 3 times. Then race at race power for that specific length. As an example, if its a 40kms TT: I do 6×7 km and ride it at race speed with 5-8 minutes recovery in between. This is the peak of generally 3-4 weeks of specific training. (I do this for worlds or national championships, otherwise I do a stage race where I can do a TT as a test.)

You can follow Marco’s progress on Twitter.
Many thanks to Marco for the interview and we wish him a full recovery and safe 2012.

www.ILoveTrialBikeForGirls.be 

What got you into biking?

Charlotte: My dad was into MTB-ing and when I was 6 I started riding short tours with him on Sunday and I really liked it. When I was 8 we went to Italy, Lake Garda, and did my first real MTB trips there. About 4 years ago a MTB school was started in the town where I lived by Patrick Meerschaert, one of the great Belgian MTB-ers who unfortunate died last year. The training is in the winter season and it is a lot of fun.

Perinne: ) I started with trials after I had seen a demonstration by former world champion Thierry Klinkenberg. After the demonstration I tried Trials at the Trial club from Aywaille. I progressed quite quickly and received my first training from Thierry Klinkenberg As I was the only girl between all the boys, I was quickly spotted and pushed by Thierry.

Why Trials riding as opposed to bmx racing?

Perrine: Before trials, I had tried many similar sports like skateboarding, BMX, inline skating, unicycling, … But what is different about the trials is the “fun” factor, this sport requires a lot of rigor, balance, training, drive, character and perseverance. That’s what attracted me to the sport.

Charlotte: I participated in a trials initiation via the MTB-school and I really enjoyed that. Ronny Belaey, Kenny’s father spotted me there and asked me if I would be interested in continuing in the sport. There weren’t a lot of girls practicing and he told me I had talent. Why trials and not another cycling sport? Trials requires a lot of precision, balance, power, character and perseverance. The competition itself is also individual, you are not riding with a whole group at the same time and I like that more. Other than that trials is just a fun sport to do, even though there are not a lot of girls practicing trials.

Do you think you have any world champions on the team?

I don’t know, it is a difficult question. Both girls are still quite young, with Charlotte being only 14 and Perrine 17. They both definite have the drive and the talent to get far but still have a couple of years to go before they will be ready to compete for the title. The prime focus for the moment is to have fun and get experience. And hopefully in a couple of years they will be ready to have a go at the world championship. They certainly have a good example in Belgium with multiple world champion Kenny Belaey.

What are your dreams for the future?

To grow the team with 1 or 2 more riders and also expand internationally. But most of all make sure trials gets the attention it deserves. It is still a small sport and a lot of people don’t realize how difficult the sport is both physical and technical. If I can help making the sport more popular, especially for girls, I will have one of my dreams realized.

With anything on 2 wheels in Belgium popular- is off road a big element?

Road cycling and cyclocross are still the 2 popular 2 wheels sports in Belgium. Now that Sven Nijs has gotten into MTB because of the Olympics it is getting a bit more attention. Which on one hand is good for the sport on the other hand there have been a lot of good riders in the past who did not got the attention Sven Nijs is getting. As for Trials it doesn’t get a lot of attention in Belgium. It is a very small sport. We have with Kenny Belaey the current World Champion in Belgium but you hardly ever hear about the sport. But we have been promoting the sport for over a year now and we are making some good progress.

Why is it important for the team to compete with honour and not cheat?

We are the first girls trials team in Belgium and are starting to get some attention, both in Belgium as in some of the other countries. Both girls are young and want to be an example to other riders who want to start with trials and show them that you don’t need to cheat to achieve great things.

The 20 year old Australian caught our attention when she emailed us last year wishing to become part of Bike Pure. We met in Sydney last November as she took part in the New South Wales Grand Prix Criterium Series and we were impressed with her warmth off the bike and sheer grit and determination on it. Incidentally, Melissa took victory in the final round of the Series at Coogee, Sydney which contained many of Australia’s best riders.

Hoskin’s recent victories are still fresh and she relishes the challenges racing in Europe brings, “Whether its a club race or a world title, its always special. Wins in Europe are hard to come by, no matter what level, so to have two under my belt this season is pretty special.” Hoskins added that it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of her Jayco-AIS term mates, “I couldn’t have done it without my team. I may have crossed the line first but they are the ones doing the work that nobody sees, so I only have them to thank! Racing in Europe is very different, very aggressive and fast. There are more girls, which adds teams and tactics. You always have to be in good position, which is far easier said than done and be aware of what’s going on around you. In bunches of 180, this can prove to be challenging.”

This is Hoskins’ first prolonged spell in Europe, “I came over last year for a month with the AIS track team where we rode some Kermesses but this year I could be here for up to 5 months.” A fierce sprint isn’t the only weapon Hoskins’ possesses and a scan through her cycling CV demonstrates an all round ability on both the road and track. Accolades include a former World Junior Team Pursuit Champion, Australian Junior Kierin Champion, UCI Track World Cup medalist and a series of medals in the National Points Race and Omnium plus numerous time trial and road race accomplishments.

We spoke to Mel’s coach Garry Sutton, head of Australia’s women’s track endurance squad who overlooks many of the Jayco-AIS riders. Sutton is clearly impressed with Mel’s progress, “Mel has been one of the biggest, if not the biggest improver I’ve seen over the last year. Mel possesses many attributes and is very quick, whether she be riding the pursuit or omnium.”

Although a great individual rider, Sutton also commented on her strengths as a team rider, “At the recent Rabobank Tour in Holland, Mel showed that she is a very strong team player which is impressive at such a young age”.

When asked who is her idol, Hoskin’s makes no hesitation when she mentions the world number one Marianne Vos. A fellow Bike Pure role model and the most successful women’s rider across many disciplines this year, Hoskins finally had time to have a chat with Vos at the recent Rabobank Tour, “Marianne’s successes are not only at the highest level, but are spread over many biking disciplines. She would have to be one of the most versatile cyclists, male or female, and to be riding with someone like that, it’s a privilege.” Hoskins added, “On and off the bike she treats you with a great deal of respect, whether you are her close competitor or not. She would have to be one of the nicest and down to earth women in the cycling world.”

Like Vos, Hoskins also discovered a passion for cyclo-cross when she rode her first event in Australia last winter. With her talent in criterium and Kermesse racing, Hoskins has all the attributes to become a good cyclo-cross rider and it’s high on her ‘to do’ list, “I love cyclo-cross! I had been wanting to try it for so long and finally I got the chance and I loved it. There’s nothing better than mixing road and mountain biking! I really want to give it a red hot crack in Europe for sure, there is no better place.”

We asked if we may one day see her become the first Australian to ride a cyclo-cross world championships, “I live the dream every time I get to put on the green and gold, so lining up in cyclo-cross would be no exception!”

Hoskins may well have a dilemma that is all too common amongst young Australian pro cyclists – whether to focus her abilities on the road or track. With the development of several high profile women’s teams including HTC-Highroad and Garmin-Cérvelo the attraction of a sole focus on the road is one that appeals to Hoskins, “I guess everyone would love to be riding in a big professional team, no question, I’m no exception. So its really awesome to see major sponsors starting to put more money into women’s cycling. Its growing so fast, and there are so many amazing riders out there who are looking for the opportunity to race as a professional cyclist. It can be frustrating at times with the lack of exposure women’s cycling gets, but its improving all the time.”

For now though Hoskins will build experience on the roads of Europe and the London 2012 Olympics remain top of her agenda, “London 2012 is my priority at the moment. That is my priority and all my focus is on that right now. After that I have lots of things I want to achieve and do, travel is defiantly one of them. There are lots of things I want to tick off the bucket list after 2012, but right now its all focused on London.”

If Hoskins continues to show the maturity and improve at the rate she has then there’s no reason why she won’t be donning the green, white and gold skinsuit in pursuit of Olympic glory at London next year. We wish her every success!

You can follow Melissa on Twitter: twitter.com/MelissaMHoskins

Jayco-AIS official website: www.teamjaycoais.com

Interview © by Andy Layhe

Peter, how does a Danish cyclist end up in Brazil?

How I ended up here in this colorful contrast of beauty, culture, people and sports is in fact a long story. In fact by coincidence – not a planned move to Brazil.

When did you start the team?

The club started in 2003 and riders (individuals) began to race for the colors with no specific structure. But starting from January 2004 the team started out strong.

How has drug use affected your team?

In daily life as such you dont think or talk so much about the drug problem. But we have had case of use of doping and drugs (cocaine) and of course suspension has been the only solution. We have had episodes where riders have asked permission to use drug related products (most riders doesnt say specifics). This can mean instability in the team because the clean riders gets annoyed about the “un-cleaned” – but no prove of such. Also we have had riders been sick without any logical explication. Another problem related to drugs is that, in the world of brazilian cycling, there is no real control culture. Why – lack of funding, lack of will, lack of structure, well I dont know. But I can tell you since 2003 I as a Sports Director have witnessed my riders been tested only 3 times (and one of the times was a follow up test of one earlier testing) – meaning that from 2003 only two of my riders have been tested. I have been at tours where I have asked the Race Director why there wasnt doping test and the answer was lack of funding (sponsors). Another problem is that there is so many products (supplements) on the market and an expanding black market that you really dont know what some of these products contains. Also you cant control all of your riders all the time. In our team / club we have elite riders (men and women) and also senior and master riders on international level. But the again the cycling federation is working hard together with the brazilian drug comittee. Things are getting better. There are riders been tested and punished (still its not in all major races there is controls). But in general its getting better.

What plans have you forthe team and where would you like it to be in 4 years?

We would like to become Continental Team within 1-2 years. Logically we would like to become Pro Continental team, but that means a lot of money from sponsors. Another problem we have in South America is there is hardly any major races. Meaning that the team are forced to get to the US (also pretty limited with major races), so the scene is Europe and that means a lot of expenses. So to get to Pro COntinental level is an objective but will be a hard fight. So first to become Continental and getting as much international experience as possible. Also another project we trying to get going is a “Olympic cycling school” with low income brazilian talent. We need sponsors and we would like to work with youngster in the age of 14-20 years. Helping with training, education as an athlete, racing, the human side etc..etc…and this project is close to hard but Brazil isnt easy. Brazil has a lot of money. Cycling is exploding, but still, its extremely difficult to get the sponsors.

Do you think it is the duty of the managment to ensure his riders race clean?

First of all I think that the main repsonsibility is in the hands of the rider. If the rider wants to be a drug abuser he/she can do it and its impossible for management as such to control. Logically we can have internal test, but this not possible due to money and structure in general n Brazil – who makes the test etc…. What we do is that all our riders with salaries signs a drug free declaration. We of course are checking up on riders all the time and keeping an eye on them – especially if they are “riding too fast”. But yes in general I believe that management have a great deal of responsibility because most manager knows more than they will admit (I think), but of course the responsebility needs to be within what is human possible.

Do you educate young riders of the dangers of drugs?

Yes – absolutely. Drugs alone dont make a great rider – training does. We try to educate about feeding and suplements. What is good and bad – what is good for male and females young riders etc.

Who do you see as a role models that they should aspire to?

I dont have any specific rolemodels that the riders com “look up to”, but I normally spend a lot of time talking about how to become a better rider. First we need to understand that Brazil isnt Europe. Life is hard in Brazil. Cycling in Brazil is an expensive sport. Work in Brazil is normally 8 am to 18 am (something like that) – meaning if you are a amateur or a semi-pro rider (there is very few full professional riders in Brazil as a number) you need a job. Meaning the hours you can train is early morning and night and the weekends (when its not a race day). So I spend much time to tell and explain how you become a great rider. Training, training and then a little more training. Your best friend is your bike. If the rider can find meaning in spending the time training in Brazil (even with a job) the success will come and the financial structure. Most riders know how it is to train til 9-10 pm at night or from 4 am in the morning…..thats the price of success.

Who has helped the team the most?

I believe its me. As a dane from Denmark, from a culture with a lot of sports and success, trying to incorporate new thinking in the team like teamwork, hard training etc….and basically I believe that me as management together with the team has created a unique team in Brazil.

We wish them all the best in the coming years.

So you’re at the training camp in Adelaide ahead of the World Championships. What’s the vibe like in the team and has everything gone smoothly in preparation?
The vibe in the camp is great. We have a pretty unique situation in the Australian team where we are all around the same age, we’ve all come through juniors together and taken every step with each other’s support, and I think that’s what makes our program so special and strong. We’re the fresh blood of Australian track cycling, with the enthusiasm and excitement to train and race, and I think that has taken us all to a new level. Of course every team will have ups and downs in the preparations, but I believe it’s how you handle those circumstances, and it helps to be surrounded by great teammates and staff. We are blessed to have both those things, so through any hitches you know you are not in it alone.

You’re an established rider, which events will you be riding other than the team pursuit?
At this stage, my focus is the Team’s Pursuit. Anything else is a bonus, so long as it doesn’t interfere with my ultimate goal. I haven’t even thought about any other events yet. I just want to put everything into the TP for myself, my teammates, and for Sutto (Gary Sutton).

What has training involved at the camp and has it all been based on the track?
Well now.. that would be giving away secrets, wouldn’t it?

You started racing aged 13, how did you become involved and what drew you to the sport?
My family had a bit of history in the sport, and I tried everything else, and when I finally tried track cycling, I just loved it. I actually didn’t even start on the road.. straight to the track! I loved the speed and skills on the track compared to the road.

I nearly gave it up about a year later, for horse riding, believe it or not.. But I’m not sure why I stuck with it.. Only that I’m glad I did.

Who was your idol and role model when starting out?
That’s an interesting question actually. I remember Cam Meyer asking me in a bike shop in Perth one day who my idol was. I didn’t really know anyone back then, so I said I dunno! He said if he were me he’d look up to Kate Bates and Katie Mactier, so that year I watched them closely at the 2004 Olympics.. It’s funny that 6 years later I’m not only riding alongside Kate, but rooming with her. I find it funny remembering what you used to think about as a junior!

You had dabbled in athletics prior to cycling, can you tell us more about that?
I loved to run! I was Champion Girl in school every year from Year 4 til Year 12, and back then I had those stick legs of a skinny long distance runner, which is why I also started Little Aths.. But I was lazy and found the training boring. Dunno what happened between now and then, but now I love to train, and I certainly don’t have those skinny little running legs! But I like to think one day after cycling I’ll go back to running!

You’re a long standing role model for Bike Pure, can you tell us what this means to you?
I’m passionate about anti-doping. I get so frustrated when these riders keep getting caught, and when I think about all those out there who aren’t getting caught too. I think there’s something really cool about a race when it comes down to who wants it most, who’s trained hardest, and who hasn’t taken any shortcuts.. The sport has been tainted instead by those who seem to believe they can’t win without doping. I don’t really understand the mentality behind making someone want to do it, but I guess that’s why an organization like Bike Pure is so great. All the younger riders these days now think it’s cool to wear the blue bands and be a part of Bike Pure.. And that’s where it all starts, as a kid! It’s just great to be part of something that’s going to make a difference.

You’re ideally suited to the IP and Team Pursuit, although you could well be riding additional events at the worlds. Is the Team Pursuit a discipline you wish to remain at?
It is.. I love Team Pursuits. There’s something special about riding like a unit and having the perfect ride where you are all on song and everything just goes to plan. I can see a big future for women’s TP, and one day (hopefully in my time) we’ll be able to ride it more like the men with 4 women all on the rivet. There is so much potential to go so much faster!

Many of your track team mates will be heading over to race the road season in Europe, do you have nay plans to do likewise?
I will head to Holland mid June and stay in Apeldoorn for 2 months with the AIS track girls. It’s always a good trip, but I’m not a big fan of crit racing. So hopefully we’ll mix it up and do a few tours and kermesses in Belgium instead this year!

Women’s cycling has moved on in recent seasons with the inclusion of some high profile road teams such as HTC and Garmin-Cérvelo. What are your thoughts on women’s cycling and how do you see it progressing and gaining a higher profile regarding TV coverage and the like.
It’s been great seeing the small steps women’s cycling has taken. I hope that someday I can be involved in some of these big teams to get a feel for what the coverage is like on the road, but for now I can really only speak from my experiences on the track. It’s certainly come a long way, and equality for men and women on the track is a lot better in terms of events and TV coverage, but I still feel there’s a way to go on the road.

The one thing I love about women’s cycling is that you can guarantee every single female does it because they love it. You’d probably get paid more being a check out chick, so its rare that you find someone doing it only for the money. In the men’s, sure, most love it, but I’ll bet that a good lot of them do it because it’s their ‘job’.

What would you say to any young rider who wishes to take up cycling, especially track cycling?
If you want to take up track endurance.. get a real good seat and some chamois cream! It’s the worst bit about it.

What are your plans after the World’s?
Unfortunately I’m headed straight back home to get my wisdom teeth out! They’ve been giving me some problems lately and the xrays aren’t real pretty! I’ve also got to do a regional school program with WAIS for a few days in Geraldton with some other athletes. That will be a good experience!

Who is your toughest training partner?
I’d say they are all tough in their own ways! Jos (Josie Tomic) has always been a pretty tough nut. Even when she seems to be going through a tough patch, she always screws her head on in time and pulls out the goods on the track. I could mention them all at one point on camps, but I’d be here all day!

Who is the most talented rider you’ve had the pleasure of cycling with?
Our whole Aussie Team!

Looking towards 2010, you’re focussing on selection for the Olympics…
Very much. It’s my ultimate goal at the moment. I’ve imagined in my head exactly how it I want it to happen. To be on the top of the podium alongside my teammates, with my family in the crowd would be very special. Then again, who doesn’t have that goal? It gets down to who wants it most.

Australia is such a dominant force on both the track and road now. With Cam Meyer winning the TdU and Jack Bobridge taking the IP world record, what do you put the national success down to?
Originally I thought it was a freak bunch of juniors that came through and would take Australia through a few good Olympic cycles again. But if you look at the results from Junior Worlds of those that were at the 2004 Olympics such as Anna Meares, Kate Bates, Brad Mcgee, Mark Jamieson etc, they were very similar to the new era. I thought the talent would die off after the 2006-08 juniors moved on to seniors, but they just keep coming!!! We have talent everywhere you look!

I think the work that Gary Sutton did with the juniors, was amazing. And since moving on to the senior women’s program, guys like Tim Decker and Kevin Tabotta, last year, have only carried on his program and made it stronger again!

How do you like to spend your days off the bike?
Catching up with friends over coffee or lunch and enjoying the simple things in life.

If you weren’t a cyclist what would you be doing?
I used to want to be like Cathy Freeman, and now I want to be an Olympian champion in cycling, so I think if I wasn’t cycling I’d be doing another sport, trying to make it to the top.. But otherwise, I think I’d just be living a normal life, whatever that is!!!

A huge thank you to Sarah – we wish you every success this week, thanks for taking the time out for the interview.

Photo © Karin Calvert/The Sunday Times Magazine
Team Pursuit image courtesy www.jxpphotography.com.au