Here follows neo-pro Nathan Earle’s first blog of the season where he fills us in on a whirlwind two months which saw him gain a last-minute call-up to the Tour Down Under, makes the daunting move to Europe, and mixes it up at the front of the Tour du Haut Var.
Earle: Big start to his debut season for Team Sky. Photo: Team Sky
Hi everyone and welcome to the first installment of my blog. We’re three months into 2014 and I have to say I’m feeling pretty good.
It’s been a bit of a different start to the year than I’d imagined following my call-up to the Tour Down Under. Getting selected at the last minute obviously meant it was a bit rushed but it was certainly exciting, and to be part of that team was pretty special.
I just tried to do the best I could for the guys.
I’d made it clear that I wanted to do the race so when I got the call I thought to myself ‘okay, this is what it’s all about’. I wanted to go over and make the most of it.
The team and coaches have been saying to me that, while you might have your race schedule, it’s important to always keep up with your training as you never know when these opportunities pop up.
I think doing the Tour Down Under was a really good way to kick the year off – competing in a WorldTour race against all those other teams, and in front of a home crowd.
It helped settle the nerves a bit and enabled me to see how the team operates, as well as giving me the chance to hang around some of the big guys on the team.
