Robbie McEwen in the OCBC Cycle Singapore Professional Criterium
Robbie McEwen - GreenEDGE , speaking ahead of his appearance in the OCBC Cycle Singapore Professional Criterium.
31st Jan 2012
Photo credit: Juliane Caruana
Q: What do you know about OCBC Cycle Singapore?
RM: I’ve been to Singapore once before at the end of 2010 and I was there for two days. I had my bike with me and did a little ride. I really enjoyed being in Singapore, a couple of the event organisers came out with me on their bikes which was great.
I know a couple of Australians have won it before and it’s on the F1 track which is pretty exciting, and it should be a race that suits me – fast, flat Criterium and more often than not a bunch sprint so I am really looking forward to it.
Q: GreenEDGE did well at the Tour Down Under.
RM: Yes, we had a good start to the year. We went into it with a lot of guys in good form and a good plan and the team worked fantastically well together and Simon (Gerrans) managed to win the race overall so for us it was a great start. Being an Australian team the pressure was on us to get a good result and winning it and we managed to pull it off. As a team we really have had a dream start and the hard part now is to keep that rolling into the season further.
Q: Where do you see your role in the team?
RM: My role is two or three-fold really. At the moment you could call me rider-coach. An important part of my role in the team is not only to be a rider and now and again try and win the sprint, but to organise and coach the younger guys and mentor them. Going into my 17th season of racing I think I can share my experience with the guys and get them up to speed. My role in the team I diverse but most importantly is that I share my experience.
Photo credit: Juliane Caruana
Q: Are you worried about the weather conditions here?
RM: Not worried at all. I come from Queensland which is a sub-tropical climate and we’ve had all weather conditions this week. The only weather conditions that worry me are when it is icy and cold.
Q: Are you comfortable with this role you’ve been thrust into?
RM: Very comfortable. It’s one that I spoke about with the team management before I signed. I was approached about doing a similar role with another team about two years ago but I wasn’t quite ready. I am nearly 40 and you can’t be a professional athlete forever. I had a thought that I wanted to fill a role like I am now and wanted it to be with an Australian team so I can pass my knowledge onto Australian riders so it’s something I am very comfortable with. It’s a great way to make the transition from being a rider to what you could call technical staff. I’ll officially retire from racing halfway through the year and then continue my role in mentoring the guys so it’s a role I am really looking forward to doing.
Q: What keeps you motivated? What keeps you going?
RM: It’s my pure enjoyment and passion for the sport. Cycling started as a hobby; I’ve been racing bikes since I was a kid, racing BMX bikes since I was 8 years old. I really enjoy being out on the bike and out on the road. I like feeling fit and strong. There is nothing like the feeling of winning, it gets me out of bed every morning. It’s a pretty special thing when you can have something that is your hobby and it becomes your profession.
Q: What are some of the highlights of your career?
RM: One of the biggest highlights would be winning my first green jersey in the Tour de France. Wrapping up that competition on the final day on the Champs Elysees in the green jersey; for a sprinter that is really the Holy Grail. My three green jerseys and Tour de France Stage wins are the biggest moments I would say.
Photo credit: Juliane Caruana
Q: Cycling is growing in popularity in Singapore, and our team has just turned professional. What does a team need to become successful?
RM: It is the whole infrastructure that allows the riders to concentrate solely on their performance and their training. They don’t need to worry about organising their travel, filling up their water bottles or organising their own race food. Everything is organised for you so they can concentrate on their job. The whole team is professionals and when everyone does their own job well, it allows others to do the same. To step up to another level you need to choose your goals according to your level and don’t skip stages of the process.
Q: Do you think you can do the same thing for OCBC Cycle Singapore?
RM: I hope that we can pull a good crowd on the day. That we can showcase cycling and the event and give people an exciting race.
posted 01 Feb 2012.