Bevin wins NZ elite men’s time trial
After successful 2018, cyclist turns his sights on Tokyo Olympics
Building from an outstanding season, New Zealand cyclist Paddy Bevin has his focus fixed firmly on a potential podium at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
That journey began successfully in Napier at the weekend when he earned the right to wear the New Zealand champion’s time trial jersey in Europe this year with victory at the Vantage Elite and Under23 Road National Championships.
The 27-year-old Bevin enjoyed a breakthrough season for the BMC Racing Team on the UCI World Tour that culminated in a key role in the stage victory in the team time trial at the Tour de France; a Green jersey win in the Tour of Britain; and an eighth placing in the time trial at the world championships.
Bevin returned home last week buoyed with a new contract to the CCC Team, which has morphed out of BMC Racing, opening the door for him to shine in the time trial and on the road in key World Tour races.
“There are some big changes in the team but overall there are opportunities for guys like myself to really step up and see how far we can push it with a bit of breathing room that we didn’t have this year,” said Bevin.
The big goal is the time trial for the Kiwi rider.
“Both Yorkshire Worlds and Tokyo are what the next 18 months of my cycling career is all about and I am doing everything I can to put steps in place to achieve those goals with the resources and structure behind me to really push through to Tokyo.
“Eighth at the Worlds was good but I felt there was plenty left. It was the first time I had ridden the Worlds, my first time I had ridden a big time trial full stop. I want to push on to Yorkshire in 2019 and through to Tokyo and to threaten medals there.”
That starts with the BDO time trial and Vantage road race at the national championships, which is always a challenge for European-based professionals in their offseason.
“The focus is on the time trial which is becoming my speciality. I have done what I can within the constraints coming out of Europe. I’ve only just got back from Europe and two weeks ago at our camp we changed all of our equipment.
“A national title has been a big goal for me. I’ve made no bones about my desire to win and I have trained as well as possible.
“It would mean a lot to take the Silver Fern over to race, especially in the time trial. I wore it a couple of years ago but was not focussed on time trials then. I would love to take it back on the current trajectory and really do it proud.”
He will back up in the road race which has attracted an excellent field of elite and under-23 riders.
“There a good mix of us World Tour guys in the road race this time who are all pretty fit so it should be a really good race.
“We have a big target on the back when you wear a World Tour jersey — and you deserve it. I’ve been in the other camp and profited from it. The World Tour guys have really got in behind the event and wanting to race. I feel road cycling in New Zealand is in great place and there’s a lot of pride in the Silver Fern and we would like to see it back in Europe fulltime.”
Bevin said his 2018 season has been an accumulation of experience in three seasons on the World Tour.
“For the first few years I was like a headless chook and I got stretched every which way. With more focus on the time trial there was more certainty around my race programme and I found some grounding with my training and with my lifestyle.
“That may sound ridiculous but you have to understand that even past year I would get phone calls on a Wednesday to fly out to race on Thursday to a completely different race than what I had planned for.
“Even the Tour de France I found out I was racing an hour before it went live in the media. I literally did not know.
“With some solid direction I have created a niche that suits me well.”
‘Eighth at the worlds was good but I felt there was ’ plenty left.