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OFF SEASON INTERVIEW
FEBRUARY 2001 |
| Name: Roland Green
City: Victoria State/Province: British Columbia Country: Canada Team: Trek/Volkswagen |
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You went from 66th in '98 World Cup rankings to 10th Place in 2000 and won the Silver Medal in the World Championships. Can you pinpoint any one factor in your training habits that caused this improvement?
I would say that my technical skills have come a long way. I am still not super consistent but I know I am improving all the time. I have been lucky enough to train with some very good local riders.
What is it about Canada that seems to produce these fantastic mountain bike racers?
I think it is a time in our cycling era where we have a collection of rare personalities. The National team coach Yuri and the older riders have been able to do a lot of growth together. We really are a tight unit. Even when we are sick we have spent weeks together at altitude training camps. We give each other a lot of support and energy on the harder days. We have attracted such characters as Brian Walton who has the opportunity to train with world class road riders. He would come to our mountain bike family and add to the energy of the group. He will be missed.
What do you do for cross training? (not cyclocross, but off the bike exercise)?
I run, I lift weights and I like to drive my car. The car has trained my eye hand coordination and I can apply it to my playstation gaming. I can honestly say that these video games have improved the way I choose my lines and reaction time. Any serious gamer will have a highly honed sense of timing.
Do you take time off the bike in the winter?
Yes, I like to take 3-4 weeks completely off the bike. The only problem is not sleeping after a week or so. I have to stay active all the time. It is very hard for me to do nothing. Running and hiking are great for that and we have some excellent local trails.
How do you avoid weight gain in the winter?
My appetite fades with the lack of volume. If I feel like eating something I usually do. Typically I don't gain any more than 7 or 8 pounds and it is a welcome layer in my climate.
What month do you plan on coming into fitness for the 2001 season?
I am ready for the first race. The World Cup's are my main focus. After that I travel a lot and find it hard to really hone the form. So I have put in a hard winter of work with my training partner Ryder Hesjedal. I have always needed a lot of volume to reach top form. My main concern is the pollen count in Europe in May. Could they pack any more of those stupid yellow plants in the fields?
What month do you start your pre-season training?
I typically shift to higher intensity training in early Feb. Till then I focus on endurance and power.
How do you deal with riding in the winter conditions (cold, snow, ice, lack of daylight)?
As a Canadian you shouldn't go to the southern states and torture yourself with warm weather. When you come back home it is a lot harder to train. If you live in the East you have little choice. The winter there is too cold to ride. Victoria in the west is surprisingly mild. That is why we have a large number of high caliber athletes here. I also have quite a collection of cold weather gear.
What are your goals for the 2001 season?
The World Championships are in N. America at altitude. I couldn't ask for anything more. There will always be the World Cup and Norba series which are both short and unforgiving. I will target the N. American World Cups and be at every Norba. I enjoy the Norba series a lot. The organizers, the atmosphere, and the courses are just so much fun.
Why do you think it is so hard for world class mountain bike racers to secure sponsorship as compared to road racers?
Television has done a poor job of delivering it to the viewer. Typically they try to deliver it as this gnarly extreme event. Give it some stupid artistic twist of slowing down the camera or flashing the frame speed. That accompanied with some niche music and suddenly you can't stomach it unless you see yourself in the race. You have no idea who is in what place, how many people are competing, what the total distance and time are, elevation, location, history or any interesting technical information. Cycling is a sport built on these technical facts. It is an interesting sport when presented to the public with interesting details. A real sport. To the unknowing viewer it would seem it has no depth at all. Anyone who has watched Eurosport coverage of road racing knows how mesmerizing it is. No silly music there.
Is the "pro mountain bike racer" lifestyle as much fun as you thought it would be?
It is. I have met the greatest people on the circuit. The downhill racers are so full of energy and when they mix the events something memorable always happens.