August 2, 2024 • 7 mins
Kiwi cyclist Corbin Strong will compete in the Men’s Road Race alongside fellow New Zealander Laurence Pithie.
Strong believes he's a decent chance for a medal if 'all goes it plan'.
D'Arcy catches up with him before the big race.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldegrave from News talksb.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Let's go to the Olympic Games and why not that's
the flavor of the month. I know someone who's gone there,
but he's gone there with a bit more intent than
we Well, his name is Corbyn Strong. He's taking his
bike over there road race. Ready to go. It's this
evening at New Zealand Time. Corbyn, Welcome to the show.
This is your second Olympics. Do you feel more comfortable
now you've kind of beaten there, done that.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
I'm a lot more excited, that's for sure, I think. Yeah.
The last games was in the in the midst of
the COVID pandemic and we were also in a satellite village,
so yeah, it didn't really feel like an Olympic Games.
And within ten minutes have been here, I already already
felt like felt a lot more excited. It felt like
more of an Olympic Games. And yeah, just saying all
the other athletes around it, it's definitely an exciting environment
(00:56):
to be a part of.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Kind of athlete, are you the one that sucks in
the atmosphere and the environment and turns that to good
or maybe gets slightly overwhelmed by what's going on around you,
because the experience must be, as you see, very different
from Tokyo, quite overwhelming, quite overpowering.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeah, i'd say I'm neither of those, to be honest,
I sort of, yeah, I take it in, but I'm
not I'm not charging around, yeah, trying to experience everything.
I'm still very I know I'm here to race, and
I'm not here to to Yeah, I don't know. I
guess take take pictures of everyone to see and then
prints around the city are getting getting photos from my Instagram.
(01:35):
So I am still very focused and yeah, looking forward
to to Saturday, but yeah, also also just taking in
the experience and and yeah, I think I've probably raced
enough now that it's hasn't overwhelmed me yet. But yeah,
I'm not saying that come the race that I won't
be a wee bit overwhelmed. But yeah, I'm more excited
than anything.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
So with the change, because you were on the track
last time, but now you're on the road. Major difference
in that. I mean, still a bike's a bike, right.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Yeah, Yeah, it's Yeah, I guess I guess you could
say it's still yeah, you're still piddling a bike. But yeah,
last time I went with the focus of doing a
four kilometer race, ended up doing the Medicine, which was
a two hundred lap race, which is forty kilometers, whereas
this time it's two hundred and seventy seven kilometer race.
(02:27):
So yeah, it's still piddling a bike, but it's it
is very different and yeah, a lot more open as well,
i'd say road cycling, it's an event. Yeah, there's definitely favorites,
but I think it's also a very open event. Anything
can happen, and yeah, I think myself and Lawrence can
can be confident that if everything goes that way, we
have a good chance at middling, and I mean on
(02:49):
the perfect day, there's even yeah, we're even in with
a good chance of winning if everything goes perfect.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Lawrence Percy, of course your teammate there. Do you guys
spend a lot of time to riding together? Was it
very much a team action with the two of you?
It does that operate in a race of such lengths?
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Yeah, well, I think because there's a smaller field than normal.
Normally there'll be one hundred and eighty cyclists, whereas there's
ninety in it this year. It's going to be a
really hard race to control, Like the favorites are going
to have not many teammates to help control, And I
think Lawrence and I are both really good options to
go for a result. So we're going to play it.
Hopefully one of us get up the road and then
(03:26):
maybe in the last and the last few kilometers, maybe
then we turn to one rider riding for another. But
in the beginning, yeah, we're definitely, definitely both think we
have a good chance, so we're going to play our options.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
What do you know, Corveyn Strong, about the actual course itself?
Anything familiar at all? I mean, you spent a bit
of time of the tour, haven't you cover any of.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Those Yeah, a little bit. Yeah, we do about two
hundred and twenty k's surrounding surrounding Paris, and I've reconned
a little bit of that, and then we come in
and do the last fifty kilometers in the center of Paris. Yeah,
some of it's a little bit familiar. I did a
wee holiday with my girlfriend in Paris a couple of
years ago doing the recon Y staid out of the
(04:09):
city circuit. I was recognizing the hotel that we stayed
at and in a couple of the streets, so a
little bit of it feels familiar. But yeah, I think
I think the distance and yeah, no, one's no, one's
too familiar with the course. So I don't think it's
going to be I don't think it's going to be
too crucial come the race. Just yeah, that's reasonably flat.
(04:30):
There's no big climbs or super technical parts that Yeah,
course knowledge it's gonna it's going to play a crucial role.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
I said before you took your bike and went to Paris?
Is that the case? Do you take your own bike?
Do they buy one for you and you're over there
they cookie cutter, what's the deal with what you're riding?
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Yeah, So I live in Andorra actually, so not too
far from from Paris and the and the Pyrenees bordering
the south of front. So I'm with a professional team
based over here. So they based, yeah, in Spain, so
they just drove my bikes up yet. So I've got
a brand new one with a nice paint job specifically
(05:09):
for the Olympics that the team put together for me.
So that's exciting.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
So you can choose your own equipment, but then they
gun slap some details on it, so you kind of
look like you're from New Zealand. It rolls.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
I'm in the team that has sponsors, so yeah, I'm
my team sponsored by Factor, which is a bike brand,
so yeah, and then that sponsor decided everyone that's sponsored
by Factor was going to ride this new paint job.
So it's yeah, it's not in New Zealand colors, it's
but it's it's a sweet paint job.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Actually, are you still riding for the Israel Premier Tech Team?
Speaker 3 (05:44):
Yeah, yeah, I am, so that's yeah, it's only it's
only for Olympic Games and World Championships that you ride
for your nation on the road. Apart from that, you're
always riding for your professional team.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
And what a place to ride from as well? And
thor do you get up on the slopes smarch Parents,
You've got some mean ski fields out there.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Yeah yeah, I joined the winter. Yeah, it's a pretty
there's a pretty lifestyle. Actually, quite often you get out
training in the morning and then if I'm there during
the winter, I'm on the slopes in the afternoon, which
is Yeah, it's a pretty it's pretty lucky. Yeah, pretty
awesome place to live, and yeah, I really enjoy it there,
and yeah it's I didn't actually ski much living inficrgo
(06:25):
Queenstown was pretty close, but apart from a couple of
school trips, yeah, I didn't really take it all in.
So it's really cool living in a place. Yeah, I've
got a ski slope about fifty meters from my doorsteps,
so it's cool to utilize that.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Well, you had a better vertical drop over there and
better snow naturally, i'd say than in Queenstown. With all
due respect, Hey Corbyn, it's not lucky. You've worked super
super hard to get where you've got and hopefully you
can put a cherry on top of that. Come the
road race yourself from Lawrence Pathy, Hey, thanks so much
for your time right before arguably the biggest race of
(07:01):
your life. Get in there and give it grief, my friend.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Thank you very much. Cheers guys.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk set be on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldegrave from News talksb.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Let's go to the Olympic Games and why not that's
the flavor of the month. I know someone who's gone there,
but he's gone there with a bit more intent than
we Well, his name is Corbyn Strong. He's taking his
bike over there road race. Ready to go. It's this
evening at New Zealand Time. Corbyn, Welcome to the show.
This is your second Olympics. Do you feel more comfortable
now you've kind of beaten there, done that.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
I'm a lot more excited, that's for sure, I think. Yeah.
The last games was in the in the midst of
the COVID pandemic and we were also in a satellite village,
so yeah, it didn't really feel like an Olympic Games.
And within ten minutes have been here, I already already
felt like felt a lot more excited. It felt like
more of an Olympic Games. And yeah, just saying all
the other athletes around it, it's definitely an exciting environment
(00:56):
to be a part of.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Kind of athlete, are you the one that sucks in
the atmosphere and the environment and turns that to good
or maybe gets slightly overwhelmed by what's going on around you,
because the experience must be, as you see, very different
from Tokyo, quite overwhelming, quite overpowering.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeah, i'd say I'm neither of those, to be honest,
I sort of, yeah, I take it in, but I'm
not I'm not charging around, yeah, trying to experience everything.
I'm still very I know I'm here to race, and
I'm not here to to Yeah, I don't know. I
guess take take pictures of everyone to see and then
prints around the city are getting getting photos from my Instagram.
(01:35):
So I am still very focused and yeah, looking forward
to to Saturday, but yeah, also also just taking in
the experience and and yeah, I think I've probably raced
enough now that it's hasn't overwhelmed me yet. But yeah,
I'm not saying that come the race that I won't
be a wee bit overwhelmed. But yeah, I'm more excited
than anything.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
So with the change, because you were on the track
last time, but now you're on the road. Major difference
in that. I mean, still a bike's a bike, right.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Yeah, Yeah, it's Yeah, I guess I guess you could
say it's still yeah, you're still piddling a bike. But yeah,
last time I went with the focus of doing a
four kilometer race, ended up doing the Medicine, which was
a two hundred lap race, which is forty kilometers, whereas
this time it's two hundred and seventy seven kilometer race.
(02:27):
So yeah, it's still piddling a bike, but it's it
is very different and yeah, a lot more open as well,
i'd say road cycling, it's an event. Yeah, there's definitely favorites,
but I think it's also a very open event. Anything
can happen, and yeah, I think myself and Lawrence can
can be confident that if everything goes that way, we
have a good chance at middling, and I mean on
(02:49):
the perfect day, there's even yeah, we're even in with
a good chance of winning if everything goes perfect.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Lawrence Percy, of course your teammate there. Do you guys
spend a lot of time to riding together? Was it
very much a team action with the two of you?
It does that operate in a race of such lengths?
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Yeah, well, I think because there's a smaller field than normal.
Normally there'll be one hundred and eighty cyclists, whereas there's
ninety in it this year. It's going to be a
really hard race to control, Like the favorites are going
to have not many teammates to help control, And I
think Lawrence and I are both really good options to
go for a result. So we're going to play it.
Hopefully one of us get up the road and then
(03:26):
maybe in the last and the last few kilometers, maybe
then we turn to one rider riding for another. But
in the beginning, yeah, we're definitely, definitely both think we
have a good chance, so we're going to play our options.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
What do you know, Corveyn Strong, about the actual course itself?
Anything familiar at all? I mean, you spent a bit
of time of the tour, haven't you cover any of.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Those Yeah, a little bit. Yeah, we do about two
hundred and twenty k's surrounding surrounding Paris, and I've reconned
a little bit of that, and then we come in
and do the last fifty kilometers in the center of Paris. Yeah,
some of it's a little bit familiar. I did a
wee holiday with my girlfriend in Paris a couple of
years ago doing the recon Y staid out of the
(04:09):
city circuit. I was recognizing the hotel that we stayed
at and in a couple of the streets, so a
little bit of it feels familiar. But yeah, I think
I think the distance and yeah, no, one's no, one's
too familiar with the course. So I don't think it's
going to be I don't think it's going to be
too crucial come the race. Just yeah, that's reasonably flat.
(04:30):
There's no big climbs or super technical parts that Yeah,
course knowledge it's gonna it's going to play a crucial role.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
I said before you took your bike and went to Paris?
Is that the case? Do you take your own bike?
Do they buy one for you and you're over there
they cookie cutter, what's the deal with what you're riding?
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Yeah, So I live in Andorra actually, so not too
far from from Paris and the and the Pyrenees bordering
the south of front. So I'm with a professional team
based over here. So they based, yeah, in Spain, so
they just drove my bikes up yet. So I've got
a brand new one with a nice paint job specifically
(05:09):
for the Olympics that the team put together for me.
So that's exciting.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
So you can choose your own equipment, but then they
gun slap some details on it, so you kind of
look like you're from New Zealand. It rolls.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
I'm in the team that has sponsors, so yeah, I'm
my team sponsored by Factor, which is a bike brand,
so yeah, and then that sponsor decided everyone that's sponsored
by Factor was going to ride this new paint job.
So it's yeah, it's not in New Zealand colors, it's
but it's it's a sweet paint job.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Actually, are you still riding for the Israel Premier Tech Team?
Speaker 3 (05:44):
Yeah, yeah, I am, so that's yeah, it's only it's
only for Olympic Games and World Championships that you ride
for your nation on the road. Apart from that, you're
always riding for your professional team.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
And what a place to ride from as well? And
thor do you get up on the slopes smarch Parents,
You've got some mean ski fields out there.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Yeah yeah, I joined the winter. Yeah, it's a pretty
there's a pretty lifestyle. Actually, quite often you get out
training in the morning and then if I'm there during
the winter, I'm on the slopes in the afternoon, which
is Yeah, it's a pretty it's pretty lucky. Yeah, pretty
awesome place to live, and yeah, I really enjoy it there,
and yeah it's I didn't actually ski much living inficrgo
(06:25):
Queenstown was pretty close, but apart from a couple of
school trips, yeah, I didn't really take it all in.
So it's really cool living in a place. Yeah, I've
got a ski slope about fifty meters from my doorsteps,
so it's cool to utilize that.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Well, you had a better vertical drop over there and
better snow naturally, i'd say than in Queenstown. With all
due respect, Hey Corbyn, it's not lucky. You've worked super
super hard to get where you've got and hopefully you
can put a cherry on top of that. Come the
road race yourself from Lawrence Pathy, Hey, thanks so much
for your time right before arguably the biggest race of
(07:01):
your life. Get in there and give it grief, my friend.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Thank you very much. Cheers guys.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk set be on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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