I was recently taken on board by a cycling website called cyclingtribe.com - fresh local and international cycling news is their focus. But my focus is learning as much as I can, and utilising the chance to have some input from the very people I would want to work for in the future. It's early days, but things have gotten off to a great start, with me lining up my first interview with a certain Rico Rogers. A top gun sprinter who showed the young pups how to play like a big dog, in the recent Tour of Gippsland. (the very race that turned my face into raw salami, and destroyed my bike only 15km in to the 550km event)

Rico Rogers kept it upright, and even had breathe for an interview...

With over 160 riders taking part in the recent Tour of Gippsland, it would be easy to overlook a worthy performance. But in this instance, we couldn’t overlook the rider.

32 year old Rico Rogers has opened a new chapter of his already extensive cycling career - This time, on the road, and faster than ever!

Rico won 2 stages at the recent Tour of Gippsland. A result he may have aimed for, but certainly not what everyone else expected. We caught up with Rico Rogers, with the ultimate goal of finding his secrets to success…

Cyclingtribe: Rico, you won a bagful of races over the last summer. How on earth did you carry that form all the way to your recent performance at the Tour of Gippsland?

Rico Rogers:  Well I met Will Walker at one of the St Kilda criteriums during summer, and have been working with him since then. It’s been an ongoing development, so I’ve not needed to ‘carry form’ so to speak, but focus more on constantly building.

Cyclingtribe: Did you at any point leading up to the Tour, have a pretty clear idea as to how you’d rate against the more publicized names of Australian Cycling? You were in there with some pretty big names…

Rico Rogers:  Since the Bay Criterium Series, I’ve been confident in my abilities as a rider. Going back to the Bay Crits, I was sprinting with the big names of Aussie International cycling. And doing that really opened my eyes to my own abilities!

Cyclingtribe: You usually ride for Total Rush – how did you earn a spot with Budget Forklifts so late into the year?

Rico Rogers:  Budget Forklifts approached me, and asked whether I’d be interested in a short trial period with them. So I took the chance to have the support of a full team, and so far it’s been great.

Cyclingtribe: With 2 stage wins at the Tour of Gippsland, are there any plans for you to continue racing at National level with the Budget Forklifts outfit? 

Rico Rogers:  Yeah definitely – as I said, the offer from Budget Forklifts was short term. This offer could grow to something long term, depending on how I fitted into the team and more importantly, if the results come in. Going on my ride in the Tour of Gippsland, I’m happy to accept any offers that Budget makes, but we will take things as they come!

Cyclingtribe: Take us through that grueling Warrugal stage – it was 134km of fast paced action. What went through your mind in the final 5 kilometres before your win?

Rico Rogers:  Cam Jennings had been working hard all day long, so I told him I’d look after this one. We were sitting on some decent speed in the bunch, trying to catch a few riders that had escaped up the road. My legs felt pretty good, even after we crested the hill at 3k to go.

I turned the final corner, kinda mid field. I saw the riders in front of us, and had a feeling I could make the gap… So I hit it and attacked the field with 500m to go. I passed the few guys up the road, and hit the slight rise into the finish going flat out. The team rode really well that day, and it made my job a lot easier!

Cyclingtribe: So what’s the plan now? Riding on the form you currently have, we could be in for a few surprises!

Rico Rogers: Well I’ll stick to the training I’ve been doing, since it seems to be working. Short term, I’ll be heading down a bit earlier for the Tour of Geelong. We’re doing some course recon to check out the finishes and make sure we know what to expect. We’re confident as a team. We work well together, which is crucial.

Cyclingtribe: Just out of interest – how many kilometers are you getting in each week? I’ve Googled your name tirelessly and I still can’t figure out your secret.

Rico Rogers:   I focus more on training quality than quantity. I’ve been doing more intervals and strength work than usual, and when I do these, I do them 110% and then some. In a good week, I’ll get in 700km of quality training. No secrets…

Cyclingtribe: Rico, thanks for your time and once again; congratulations on your stellar performance at the Tour of Gippsland! It goes to show, nice guys do come out on top. Any parting words for the upcoming fastmen of the sport?

Rico Rogers:  Well any cyclist for that matter, should find out what works for them. Both in training and racing. And when they find that, stick to it!

Thanks guys, any time! Appreciate the interest…

Clearly a modest man, Rogers’ achievements speak for themselves. Having represented New Zealand on four occasions at World MTB level, the Roof Plumber sure hides his achievements well. Until he gets on a bike, that is.

Rogers has won over 25 races this year alone, and with his strong presence at the Tour of Gippsland, one can only assume this tally will grow in the coming months. On saying that, he would be one rider to watch in the upcoming races. Especially if you come up against him in a dash for the line…