The possessor of one the most renowned and recognized mullet in the world of sport, the Kiwi talked of the long journey that has now brought him to our team.
It has been another hectic winter for me, as I was not able to sign a contract with the team until November, but that was still earlier than last year, when I didn’t sign with my former squad until April. So comparatively I have had a better winter and I am really happy to have joined the team that a lot of riders, including myself, look forward to potentially joining one day, so that’s a dream come true.
The training camp in December went fairly smoothly. My season last year didn’t finish until quite late, in China, so it was a little bit of a rushed and short off-season. That is partly my choice though – the team gave me the option to not come and race in Australia, but this was my first Tour Down Under and I am happy to come here. I missed the race in 2017 due to injury, in what was due to be my first time in the World Tour, and that season ended up not starting until September!
So, I definitely wanted to come here, especially as there are so many Kiwi fans that come over because they want to see World Tour racing, but to go to the big races in Europe is too expensive. I have seen a lot of fans by the road and lots of New Zealand flags, with people shouting Knobby (ed. – Shane’s affectionately known as Novie, a nickname given to him when he was a young rider, or novice) and I try and give them a wave, which was really great!
Every defeat is a step forward
I played rugby in New Zealand for 10 years, up until when I went to high school. I could have gone to an all-boys school, where they have a special rugby team and tried to pursue a career in the sport, but for other reasons I chose to go to a mixed school and the team was not as good. I played the first few games, but we got absolutely smashed and it wasn’t enjoyable, so I thought it was time to find a new sport. I gave up rugby and wrestling (ed. – Shane was a national junior freestyle wrestling champion), and my uncle’s friend, who was caretaker at the high school, leant me a bike to try some races.
It was quite appealing to me at 14 years old, as it was one of the few sports where I could make $5 or $10 at the weekend or the odd weeknights. I have always enjoyed sport and there wasn’t much chance to me going to university to follow an academic career – I didn’t have the concentration, so I had to follow the sporting path somehow, and cycling just went from one stop to the next and I progressed from there.
I started exclusively track racing for the first 18 months that I was in cycling. I only had a single speed track bike and I used to change from a fixed rear wheel to a freewheel when I went out on the road. Later I managed to get a road bike through some friends and I won a junior national title, which was my first big step. I then got picked for the New Zealand Junior World’s team in 2016, where we got second in the team pursuit. That led in to leaving the juniors and joining the academy and going to the Commonwealth Games in 2010, which wasn’t so successful, but my career went on from there and I took silver in the World Championship Omnium in 2011 and then I went to the 2012 Olympics as an outside favourite, but I finished 7th. I was able to start road racing from then, with An-Post at Pro Continental level, while still riding on the track until I got my chance as a full professional in 2014.
Growing up in New Zealand I was aware of road cycling and the big races in Europe through the other Kiwis that had ridden in them, like Julian Dean and Greg Henderson, who had long careers having started on the track like me and then going to the road, but I never thought it was a possibility to me until the opportunity actually came along. We didn’t get much cycling coverage outside of the classics and the Tour de France back home, but if I was on a training camp, we always managed to find a way of watching the races. Now it has progressed, and it is a lot easier for the kids of this generation back home to watch every race on television, which is really nice.
Being part of the Wolfpack
Living in Girona is different to how I grew up back home. Off the bike I like a quiet life, where I play a lot of PlayStation or watch a series with my girlfriend. All my main hobbies relate to New Zealand, where I really enjoy outdoor activities like fishing, hunting, water skiing, or snow sports. After I have finished in Australia, I am going back home for two weeks, where I may have a little time to go fishing, but I will be too busy training to do anything else. I am looking forward to having a good season without the hiccups I have had in the last few years. Twelve months ago, I was at a Continental team and I wasn’t looking to hang the bike up, but it was a possibility and I was running out of options.
So now, that I have the security of two years with the team, I am very happy to do my job and go to where I am needed. The team is great, especially the guys that we have over here, with some new guys and some experienced guys, so a good mix. We have our first win, which makes everything easier and a little more relaxed. They are all good people and I am really enjoying with Michael Mørkøv.
We both have a similar role and he comes from a track background too, and he has lots of experience. He is in great condition for the early part of the season, and he always knows what to do and there to be. I knew how badly Sam wanted to win and how much I wanted to help him and having someone like Michael with him takes a lot of the pressure away. That Tour Down Under stage victory gave us a lot of confidence and made us hope it’s just the beginning of a great season!
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images