Q&As...of sorts.

Just for a bit of fun (and maybe a little serious)- me, my new hide out in Spain, and racing with hTC-Columbia.

You said you were with Greipel before the TDU talking tactics - what tips did you give him? Did he put them in action?

He wouldn’t stop picking my brains, it was a little irritating! I just reinforced to him he needs to have faith in his team mates and trust his instincts. You know, the basics...he was all ears. (I'm kidding...)

Do you tend to put a lot of pressure on yourself? Has that abated?

Generally, I’m the only one who has piled it on me. I have really high expectations of myself in everything I do and don’t like to do things half-heartedly. I think it’s something that has definitely helped in my cycling.

What got you into cycling? Once you were, how did you feel?

The father. I was always really sporty, doing every sport under the sun and then one day I just asked Dad, who is a keen cyclist, if he could set me up on a bike. He couldn’t get me on one quick enough and I just never stopped.

Initially I just really liked the freedom of it. I thought it was super cool that at the age of 12 I could wake up in the morning and meet the local junior bunch for the weekly ride and have done 30km before school even started. And then I started winning, so that was a bonus!

Describe how you feel when you're riding

I’ve never really thought about it. I love the rush of adrenalin you get when you’re racing. The challenge and how when it comes to a sprint and you’re moving at 60km/hr you have to make split second decisions that can make or ruin your race after 130km out on the road.


First bike?

Some metallic blue compact frame Giant, a hand me down from my Dad. It had illegal wheels which all the juniors complained about me riding. At the time I didn’t understand why they were illegal; I just thought they looked pretty.


How do you like your current bike?

The Scott is fantastic. Super light and just accelerates beneath you. I’m really looking forward to racing it in Qatar in a few days. Qatar’s well known as a race specially for sprinters so it will be good to test it out in my ‘home environment.’


Favourite Belgian beer

Leffe, for sure.

Where are you basing yourself in the European season?

I hooked up an amazing apartment in Girona, Spain with two other Australian girls Tiffany Cromwell (Australian National Team) and Josie Tomic (Lotto Belisol Ladies). The former tenant rode for Garmin-Transitions and our next door neighbour is someone from Astana!

Fave ride around Canberra? Anywhere else in the world?

Actually, if you had have asked me two week ago I would have said it was just a nice cruisy ride around Cotter in Canberra. But I just finished my first training camp in Mallorca, Spain with the team and found some amazing rides there. I loved the rides through the mountains around the bay there. Beautiful views and the climbs didn’t even hurt...that much!

Favourite cycling moment - of all time, your own and/or as a spectator

Hmm, a tough one. For me personally it probably would have been my win in the third stage of the Tour of Chongming Island last year because I really had to fight for it and then team had put everything on the line to get me to the finish, so it was great to be able to reward them.

As a spectator, the stage in the TdF last year when hTC-Columbia just got on the front into a cross-wind 30kms from the finish and drilled it causing chaos and panic in the peloton behind them was pretty awesome. It just showed how tactically switched on the team was and it’s something you don’t really see in the Grand Tours, especially so early on. (I’m not even being biased because I’ve signed with them, I swear!)

Biggest influence on your career

It may sound a little lame, but definitely my Dad. I’ve never really had those ‘Heroes’ that other people might have. I just always wanted to be the best I could be. So Dad has probably had the biggest influence on my cycling. He has always been so supportive and has taught me so much about racing.

Hopes for Tour of Qatar

I’m not really sure what to expect actually. Not only will it be my first time riding the race but it’s the first time racing with the new team so I want to go in with an open mind.


Favourite cyclist of all time?


Jens Voigt for sure. It’s always the man behind the guy that wins, but you see an interview with him and he’s just the funniest, most good humoured guy out there. Such a good attitude also- I once heard a story about him, it was terrible weather and everyone was like ‘we’ll this sucks’ but Jens was like ‘this is fantastic, half the field has already lost the race’. The glass is always half-full.


What are your thoughts about the Australian nationals being on the same course for six years (or can't you really say?)

It’s a bit disappointing to say the least. Every other country changes the course every year. It just means that Australia will have the same national Champion, or the same sort of rider at least as National Champion for the next six years and how is that exciting?

2010 presented Cycling Australia with the best opportunity to change this, the World Championships are being held in Geelong, why not give our riders the opportunity to race on the course before other nations and use it for the National Championships? It would have given us a huge advantage- and probably drawn a stella field also.

How did you feel signing that contract with HTC?

It’s something that I hadn’t really even ever dreamed of. I always said that I wanted to be a professional cyclist but I’m not sure I ever really fully believed that I was capable of it. It’s still a little surreal, I ride for the best team in the world and I’m 19...what!?

I see you've ticked one of your goals - to sign with a pro team, what are your career goals? And 2010?

I’m definitely looking towards the Olympics in London and then after that I’ll reassess. For 2010 I’m hoping to make both the Commonwealth Games and the World Championship Squads. While they’re definitely ambitious goals I don’t think they’re that far out of my reach.

Greatest rival? Friendly with them or is it like Contador/Lance?

Generally I’m really good friends with everyone I ride/race with. But I think at the moment it there definitely a lot of competition between fellow Australian sprinter Rochelle Gilmore and myself, but friendly of course!


How did the training camp go in Mallorca?

It was pretty fantastic, while it took me a few days to stop whinging about the weather I left behind in Australia the riding was actually amazing. It was really good to get to know all the girls a bit better also.

Hardest bits about being a pro cyclist? Best bits?

Constantly being away from home and loved ones, especially my puppy! People don’t realise but it can get quite lonely, there is definitely some quality Skype time going on. Best bit is you’re getting paid to do what you would do for free; I now have an excuse to be lazy if I’m not on the bike. ‘Mum, I can’t hang out the washing, I’m recovering...it’s my job.’


Ever been to Mooseheads?

Of course! Thursday night is cheap night...see you next week right?



Check out the full interview here: http://tourdecouch.blogspot.com/