Interview with Adam Phelan and Alastair Loutit

By Miffy Galloway

Both: McDonaugh Blake Witness is a new team this year, how has this benefited you and how is the team helping you to achieve your sporting goals?

Adam and Al: The Mcdonagh Blake- Witness Cycling Team has benefited us in several ways. It has allowed us to really grow and learn as riders and it offers a supportive culture where developing us as riders is the key focus. The team is the initiative of Trent Wilson, a former pro, who runs and manages the team. Having this aspect to the team is really helping us achieve our goals, with Trent’s experience and knowledge acting as a huge advantage in races and training.


Both: Your next race coming up is the Geelong Tour and in the team you have a new signing in Chris Jongeward who has been vocally targeting this race, how will this affect the teams strategies going into the event? And what do you see your role in the event being?

Adam and Al: Having Chris on board for Tour of Geelong will be a huge advantage for the team. Not only is he one of the strongest riders around, he will be able to offer his race experience and knowledge to the younger riders in the team. We are both aiming to maintain a strong GC position in addition to helping out Chris to achieve his goals, which will hopefully see him placed highly overall. We also have Dale Scarfe, who has shown that he is in form with his sprint win in Stage 5 of the Tour of Gippsland.

Adam: you have a twin brother Michael Phelan who is currently riding for the Drapac Porsche team, what has it been like growing up in cycling together and is there ever a bit of sibling rivalry?

Adam: Growing up with Michael has been really beneficial. It has meant that I have always had someone to train with and it has allowed me to have support throughout my whole cycling life. There are very few people who would be in the same situation, so it acts as a huge mental and physical advantage. Sibling rivalry has also played a major part. We are both very competitive people in all aspects of life and don’t like being beaten by each other, which is great for training because even then we try and outdo each other!

Both: You are both currently studying at the AustralianNationalUniversity, and have part time jobs. How do you manage to balance these other commitments with your cycling?

Adam and Al:  It sometimes becomes a bit overwhelming when you’re trying to do really well in all areas and it can become a bit of a juggling act, but if you keep yourself organized and on top of things you generally can get through it O.K.

Both: what are 2 things you can’t live without?
Adam and Al:

- Banana Bread
- Coffee (in that order)

Both : What is your idea of the perfect recovery ride?

Adam and Al: Meeting with all the Canberra boys and rolling down to Velo Republic Café, in Kingston and having a long (often with several brews) stop then pedaling around the lake and cruising home.

Both: And the ride : brew stop ratio?
Adam and Al: Let’s just say sometimes we forget we’re supposed to be training.

Alastair: You represented Australia in the Junior World Championships in 2008 in South Africa and were fortunate enough to experience European racing in the lead-up to the event. How does the European standard of racing compare to that in Australia? And after having a taste of it, are you hungry to go back?

Al: The racing over there is definitely different. The talent we have in Australia easily matches and in many cases exceeds the level of riders over there, but there is a lot more depth of talent in Europe. Cycling is only really just taking off in Australia, but it won’t be long till the depth here is equal to that in Europe. Obviously I only raced in the junior ranks over there, so I can’t comment on what the racing is like now, but the junior racing is a good indicator. I’m definitely hungry to get back over there. I prefer the race settings in Europe and my goal is to make a living racing in Europe.

Both: In Canberra, you are fortunate enough to be able to train with arguably some of the strongest riders in Australia, with many of them riding for domestic teams. How does this help you?

Adam:  I couldn’t think of better place to train then Canberra. I don’t think you can find another place where there is such a large group of strong riders that all train together and push each other to go harder. Some of the morning rides (notably the notorious Hour of Power) I find harder than a lot of races I do.

Al: The bunch of riders that we have in Canberra is so beneficial both physically and mentally. It’s extremely rare that I ever have to train by myself and these guys are my best friends as well as training partners. This means that motivation to train harder is always strong and I have fun every day on the bike just hanging out with my friends.

Both: What is your favourite ride in Canberra and why?

Adam and Al: We both really like the Corin Dam ride. The ride has some really good climbs but also offers some really cool scenery, especially out at the dam itself. On nice summer’s day with a good group, you can hardly get better.

Both: What has been the best advice anyone has ever given to you?

Adam: To never give up, no matter what life throws at you. Just keep in mind what you want to achieve and give absolutely everything you got to achieve it.

Al: If you do what you love and have fun with it, you will never have to work a day in your life

Both: Training in Canberra during the winter months is everything but enjoyable, how do you stay motivated?

Adam and Al: Canberra’s winter is definitely not a fun experience, and it is really hard to keep motivated especially when you wake up and the temperature reads -8. But having that large group of riders, who are also our best friends, all going out and doing it with you helps to motivate you to get out there in the cold and get the training done.



Both: What is your most memorable sporting moment to date?

Adam: Probably winning the Canberra Junior Tour. It was my home tour and I ended up taking out the GC, KOM, and first time trial, finishing second in the other 3 stages.

Al: I’d have to say being selected to represent Australia at the Junior World Championships in South Africa, and the racing that we did in Europe in the lead-up.

Both: Where do you hope to see yourselves in 5 years?

Adam: Hopefully getting to ride in Europe for a living, where my bike is my job.

Al: I’d hope to be riding for a ProTour team ideally, but in cycling you never know where you could end up.

Both: And lastly you are both very lucky to be surrounded by a great support crew – is there anyone you’d like to thank?

Adam and Al: We have both had a huge amount of support from the same group of people, and without these people we would not have been able to get where we are today. So big thanks has to go to our families, MaryAnn and Brian Simpson begin_of_the_skype_highlightingend_of_the_skype_highlighting, The Bike Shed Canberra, Trent Wilson (and Mcdonagh Blake- Witness), VeloRepublic and the whole Canberra cycling community. Thanks!

Follow the guys during their season with McDonagh Blake - Witness at www.adamphelan.tk http://twitter.com/adamphelan