Young British sprinter finds he has more respect in the peloton after posting some quality victories
One of the riders lining up for the Tour de Suisse prologue this afternoon will be Ben Swift (Team Sky), who will be looking to build on his already impressive total of five wins this season. The 23-year-old is with his second season with the Sky Pro Cycling Team and is already finding that his prowess is earning him respect in the peloton.
Having taken a victory in the Tour de Romandie, just over a month ago, Swift is looking forward to returning to Switzerland to see if the country’s roads can be good for him once more.
“I enjoy racing in Switzerland,” he told us. “The terrain’s really to my liking, so I’ll hopefully go well there.”
After Switzerland, Swift will have the Great Britain championships, which was dominated by Team Sky last year and may suit the sprinters better this time; after which, he has a small chance of going to the Tour de France.
VeloNation caught up with “Swifty” as he was preparing to travel out to the Tour de Suisse.
VeloNation: Since you last spoke to VeloNation, you’ve taken the final stage of the Tour de Romandie, and then the second stage [which was actually the first stage, since stage 1 was cancelled – ed] of the Tour of California. How was your first experience of the US race?
Ben Swift: It was really good; I knew that I’d just come off some form in the Tour of Romandie; I was climbing really well. I was looking forward to the Tour of California all year, we went out there pretty early, but unfortunately the first stage got cancelled, due to the weather and the second stage was shortened.
But that actually played into our favour quite nicely, with the finishing circuit, and the teamwork that we had going on round there was amazing.
VN: You said at the time that the heavy rain that day had worked in your favour; do you really enjoy racing in the rain?
BS: I’ve raced in the rain quite a bit – in the UK we get a fair bit of rain – and as long as your safe it’s not really too much of a problem; they just give you a bit more breathing room really.
VN: I guess everybody is taking a little more care…
BS: Yeah, especially if you’ve got a team that’s controlling it as well, it’s a bit easier because everybody kind of sits back a little bit more; whereas if it had been dry round there it would have been a big bunch all the way around, I think.
VN: So, while you were in California you missed the Giro d’Italia. Do you hope to be in the Sky team for the Tour de France?
BS: I’m on the long list at the minute, and we should find out pretty soon, but for the minute the Vuelta’s still on my programme and that’s what I’m focussing on; but if I did get the call up for the Tour that would be awesome.
VN: So, before that, what’s next on your programme?
BS: Next I do the Tour of Suisse, I leave on Friday [yesterday – ed] to go and do that. It should be a good race; I enjoy racing in Switzerland; the terrain’s really to my liking, so I’ll hopefully go well there.
We’ve got a really strong team going, so we’ll just try and do the best we can do.
VN: Romandie was good for you, so hopefully Suisse will be too!
BS: Yeah!
VN: Do your results this season mean that you’re really breaking through now as a big name in the sprints?
BS: I’ve definitely enjoyed a successful year so far. If I haven’t won I’ve been pretty consistent in the other sprints; I’ve got a third; I’ve won bunch sprints when a breakaway’s been away, so I’ve definitely had a decent year.
You just notice by the respect you get form the other riders in the peloton now, it’s a bit nicer; not nicer, but just, you know how it is…
Last year, I was a bit disappointed with my year, but looking back it wasn’t too bad; I had two wins; it was my second year as a pro and I had a few high placings, but it just got overshadowed by a lot of injuries.
Especially now, I’ve come out and I’m regularly winning, which is really nice.
VN: Now that it’s a year older, do you feel that Team Sky is working better than in 2010?
BS: Definitely, everyone knows what it’s all about now; all the riders know each other; the whole working of the team is a year older. I think it definitely takes that first year to get used to things.
VN: When you get back from Suisse you have the National championships, which Team Sky dominated last year with all three medals. Mark Cavendish is going, so he obviously feels there a chance of a sprint. If it comes down to that at the finish can you take him on?
BS: I’ll definitely be there at the Nationals, it’s a great race and we don’t’ get many opportunities to race at home. It’s a nice opportunity to go back and race, and to try and win that jersey would be a nice thing to do; it’s a nice jersey to have for the year.
There’s not just Cav, there’s a whole load of good riders, especially a lot of the domestic guys now are really stepping up their game. It’ll be a really good race.
VN: You’ve taken a number of wins this year on a variety of different terrains; do you have a favourite kind of race to win? Some of those victories have been after some hills on the course, do you see yourself developing into a sprinter who can get over a few hills, like Oscar Freire?
BS: Yeah, definitely I’d like to base myself on Oscar Freire; I like his style of riding when he performs well on the hillier days. I really like the Ardennes Classics, and in future I’d like to be a part of that team as well.
Normally, if it’s a big, out and out bunch sprint, I have won a few this year, but normally I’m going to perform at my best when it’s on terrain like Romandie. That stage I won in Romandie, I think there was two big climbs; the one where Vinokourov attacked at the end with Tony Martin, there was only about fifty guys in the front group at the end, or something. So certainly, terrain where it’s been a hard day is what I prefer.
VN: Like many of the top British riders, you have a background on the track. Are you hopeful of making the Olympic team, perhaps in the Omnium?
BS: I had a go on the track this year and I didn’t make it. I think I just need to sit down with the coaches and the manager, and have a good talk and see what’s the best option.
There’s still the Olympic road race, where I can go and help support Cav as well.
I’m quite fortunate to have a bit of an option for both I suppose, at the minute; but obviously I couldn’t do both because you need to focus on one or the other.
But that’s a decision to be made later on.
VN: But you obviously want to be involved…
BS: Yeah, I definitely want to be there representing Great Britain!
VN: Looking past the Vuelta to the end of this season, do you hope to make it to the Worlds in Copenhagen? Will it be a sprinters race?
BS: Definitely, I hope to get into that. We should have a big enough team to make way for a few riders, and I think I’ve showed myself pretty good this year to warrant a position.
Hopefully it’ll be good; it’d just be nice to go there, again, and support Cav. He’s our best shot for it.
But it might not be an out and out sprinters’ course; I’ve heard a few different things, but looking at it I think it’ll come down to a sprint, easily.