Coming off a stellar series of performances in North America earlier this year, Timaru cyclist James Wilson has his eye on more international success in China this weekend.
As part of the MitoQ NZ Cycling Project team, Wilson will be competing in the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Tour of Mentougou International Road Cycling Race.
He said the team had only received the invite for the race, which starts on Sunday, last week and as they were invited by the race organisers, all the travel and accommodation costs were paid for.
After spending June and July racing in Canada and the United States, where he picked up his first pro podium as well as a second overall finish in the Chicago Grit, Wilson said he was looking forward to tackling another international event.
‘‘It’s a three-day stage race in a suburb of Beijing called Mentougou. The first day is a 130km point-to-point road stage with 2500m of climbing, so it’s quite a hilly one.
‘‘That stage will sort of be more of a ‘just make it to the finish’ for me, but my teammate, Eddie Adams, will be sort of going pretty well for that one. He’s an up-andcoming climber.’’
Stage two would be his big target and chance to podium.
‘‘The second stage is an 8.5km city circuit and flat. That’s the stage I’m focusing on.
‘‘It’ll probably come down to a bunch kick, but after what I’ve done in America, I’ve found I’m quite good at the bunch sprints and positioning myself. We’ll be aiming to try and get me up for that one.’’
The third stage featured another hilly 114km climb.
‘‘That one will again just be a sort of ‘get around and see what happens’. The team’s not putting too much pressure on us with the last minute nature and it’s sort of really about building a relationship with the organisers and just getting us there.’’
He said he felt very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to race in China.
‘‘After the Black Spokes team folded, a lot of Kiwis have gone over to China and Asia to race professionally for teams over there.
‘‘To get the opportunity to go over there and do one of the big races and hopefully try and show myself and get a result in a few years, it could open up some opportunities to go over there and race full time on the Asian circuit.’’
He said his recent experiences had made him more determined than ever to keep pursuing success in the sport.
‘‘Last year I don’t think I ever finished inside the top 10 and then this year, I got almost 10 top 10s in a row and in one of the biggest races in America.
‘‘It’s definitely solidified that this is what I really want to be doing right now and I’ve showed to myself that I can compete at the top level. It’s made me even more motivated to learn from what mistakes I made this year.
‘‘I’m also still really loving the whole atmosphere of the team, travelling around the US for a couple of months with a bunch of mates, racing bikes and winning was just super cool. Next year, I’m sort of making a step up into being more of a leader in the team.’’
Outside of the upcoming race in China, Wilson said he also had his sights on a couple of races closer to home.
‘‘Tour of Southland is the main goal right now. I think a stage win is pretty realistic for me as a goal and probably the sprint jersey.
‘‘At the end of November, I’ve got the Edition Zero Gravel Race, which I’ve done for the past three years. I got fourth in 2023, so another goal is to win that.’’
He wished to thank his sponsor, McDermid Auto Collective, for all their support in getting him this far.
‘‘They also employ me at South Canterbury Toyota and I wouldn’t be able to take this opportunity to go over to try and win a race at such late notice if it wasn’t for their support.’’
