Great news for Ethan Vernon (07-18) who, having competed at last year’s Olympics and UCI World Championships (where he came 7th in the Under 23-time trial), recently signed his first professional contract with Belgian UCI World Team, Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl. The team, nicknamed ‘The Wolfpack’, has several well-known riders including ex-World Champion Julian Alaphilippe, Remco Evenepoel and Kasper Asgreen, to name but a few.
Ethan recently took part in his first world tour event – the UAE Tour, where he roomed with British Tour de France legend, Mark Cavendish. During a spare moment, he had time to catch up with Mark (Cavendish), who last year equalled the great Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 Tour de France stage wins. You can watch the fascinating interview here.
During their chat, Ethan contrasted his experiences of being part of the GB track cycling team with his early experiences of training with Quick-Step. He noted that one of the biggest differences is the influence sponsors have, who quite rightly expect winning success on the road. One tip Mark gave Ethan was to make sure he enjoyed riding his bike, commenting that as soon as it becomes a chore then it’s time to stop and do something else.
While focussing on road racing this season, Ethan is hoping to take part in the World Track Championships which this year take place in Saint Quentin, France from 12th– 16th October.
We wish Ethan the best of luck for the coming season.