What made you join the Tour of Friendship and the SpiceRoads team?
I joined the Tour of Friendship because I have ridden a lot in Thailand and it was a great chance to get into race mode. SpiceRoads was an easy choice as they made the whole experience easy.
Have you competed in many road races before?
I’ve raced in Germany, USA and of course road races in New Zealand (where I am from)
How much training did you do before the event?
I did very little training as I was in the process of shifting homes, but I had come off a 6 day (650km) off road tour with some mates, and that was torture. A great warm up!
What was the route like? (roads, scenery)
The route and the tour was very well planned and executed. The scenery……..well Thailand is always wonderful!
Tell me about the atmosphere. What were the other riders like? Was it sociable?
The atmosphere was amazing, everyone there for the same reason, to ride, race and enjoy. All the riders showed respect for the others and I also got a push up a hill by one of the Japanese girls when I lost my chain. Big highlight.
How long were the days and how did you find the distances?
The distances were well balanced, a good mixture, good climbs, but the 40 degrees was a bit on the warm side. However, having said that there was always plenty of cold water being handed out.
You were on the podium after every stage and even made first place on Stage 5! You must have been chuffed. What was it like on the podium?
It was very pleasing to get some podium finishes. Competition is a wonderful thing, it drives you harder the next day always trying to go one place better.
Apart from winning. What was the highlight of the event?
One of the highlights was racing with the very young 30 year olds and a Hong Kong guy saying “I hope I can ride like you when I’m twice my age”
What would you say to someone that was thinking about getting involved?
Do some good training 6 days a week, 4-5 hour rides at your own pace, some sprints and speed work towards the end, then come and enjoy.
