MICHAEL STORER
Team DSM’s young Australian climber talks pasta and his affinity with Scotland
Where’s home? I live in Varese in Italy, but I also consider Australia home, and I’m from Perth. For a bit I lived in Glasgow, Scotland, because my girlfriend went to uni there - I spent four months there twice. It’s probably what most cyclists ask me about: how I trained in Scotland, because it’s almost unheard of.
What’s your favourite race?
The Tour de Romandie or Il Lombardia, at WorldTour level. Lombardia feels like quite a local race to me because I train in this area, and I love the style of the race too - no circuit, and it’s also quite hilly. The same with Romandie: it’s at a nice time of year, the racing is fun... It’s hard, but it’s more enjoyable. It’s not like the tension of a monument or something.
What’s your favourite climb?
l really like this local climb, the Monterone. Not a lot of people know it - it’s just over the border in Piemonte. I also really like the Stelvio, which is a really nice climb. My favourite climb in Scotland was Crow Road.
What’s your secret talent?
Cooking Italian food. I’ve learned a bit of the culture over here, and not many people know I know how to. It’s pretty basic, but a tomato sugo is one of my favourites. When you do it, it’s really thrilling, even if it is so basic.
What’s the best prize you’ve ever won?
I won 10 kilos of pasta once. It was when the under 23 squad were here, taking part in the GP Poggiana, which is in Veneto. We shared it out. It was a mixture of different types, an awful lot.
“I lived in Glasgow. It’s probably what most cyclists ask me about: how I trained in Scotland, because it’s almost unheard of”
If you had one extra hour in the day what would you do?
One thing I’ve always wanted to try is self-defence classes or martial arts. It’s super interesting. My brothers are into Muay Thai and kickboxing, so I’d be interested in doing that some day, but I already do enough training, really.
What’s your best cycling hack?
Last year our team was sponsored by Fumpa Pump, a replacement for gas canisters, and I actually really like them. You can pump two or three tyres up, and then recharge it again, so you don’t waste canisters.
It only weighs 180g so you can put it in your saddle bag.
What’s been your toughest day on the bike?
At the Vuelta a España in 2018,
I had some stomach sickness on the first rest day, and it was enough that I felt really bad, but I could still continue to race. On stage
11, I was in the gruppetto with other injured and sick people after eight kilometres. That was tough, spending 200km behind the race. We knew we were never going to get back to the peloton.
What result are you proudest of?
My third place on stage 11 of last year’s Vuelta. A real mountainous stage, but a contrast between 2018’s stage 11 and 2020. I also enjoyed what we did as a team at last year’s Herald Sun Tour, when we won with Jai Hindley.