This week, for the first time in his career, Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla) is racing the Tour Down Under without the green and gold jersey of Australian champion. Wearing a regular team kit will be a new look for him, in a season which is shaping up to be crucial in his progression as a rider.
On the day before the Tour Down Under began, 24-year-old Plapp sat down with Escape in Adelaide to talk about his plans to start targeting GC in Grand Tours, how he views his career trajectory more generally, and what he’s expecting from the Tour Down Under.
This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and fluency.
Matt de Neef: Is it weird coming to Tour Down Under and not wearing the national champ’s jersey?
Luke Plapp: It was weird Monday when I kitted up for the first time in my career not wearing the Australian jersey. It was definitely a strange feeling. But honestly, that race [Aussie Road Nationals a couple weeks back – ed.] was the most special race I’ve ever been a part of, I think, and to see how much it meant to Durbo [Luke Durbridge] and his family and the whole WA community, I think that’s going to be a memory that I have for my whole career. And like Durbo said, I think that’s the proudest moment he’s ever had on a bike.
There’s so much happiness seeing Durbo wear that [jersey]. I think he’s so similar to me in how much the Aussie summer means to him, how much Australia means to him, and I think he carries just as much pride as I do wearing that jersey which is so special to see. And I mean, he’s given so much to this team and Australian cycling that it’s only fitting for him to have one of his last seasons in that jersey.
MdN: Was there part of you that really just wanted to get the four in a row, though?
LP: Before the race started, yeah. I obviously trained so hard for that Nationals but just the way the race situation unfolded, the whole time I was there, it was trying to make sure Durbo could stay away. The whole team behind was trying to block and let him stay away and have that whole day solo, for glory. But we found out on the penultimate lap that he was dying and struggling, and I knew that for someone in the team to win, it was just me and [Chris] Harper left. We can’t win a bunch sprint there so we had to get away on the climb.
As soon as I attacked, I realised Durbo was going to be over the top of the climb, and I knew he could hold the wheel all the way to the finish. So as soon as I got to him, I said “This is yours, mate. Hold on and we’ll get you there.” That was just what felt right in the moment. And I think watching the race back and the replays it was the only decision you could have ever made. It was so special how it all worked out, and to see him come down that finishing straight, it is so special. I was crying when I was riding, just looking at him.
I mean, there’s always time to equal the record and win a fourth one day. So hopefully I’ll have that chance again. Maybe it’ll go back to Buninyong, and I can win it in front of home fans.
MdN: You’re now into your fourth year as a pro. How do you think you’ve changed as a person since you started?
LP: I’d like to say I’ve matured a bit. I think learning from the likes of Geraint [Thomas] and Ben Swift, they were absolutely pivotal for me in Ineos and I think I’d never be the rider I am now if it wasn’t for the years I spent at Ineos. I think learning from Richie [Porte], and being part of his final season, and then having those older guys there who are still some of my best mates – it’s super awesome to go for a coffee here [in Adelaide] or have a chat with those guys. I owe so much to them for where I am now.
I think now I don’t have as much pressure on myself, trying to prove myself anymore or work my way into the peloton. I feel like I belong now, and can really just enter every race with a focus of trying to get a result, and not trying to earn my stripes.
MdN: How do you think you’ve changed as a rider in the four years since you started as a pro?
LP: I think the old, bigger, track cycling Luke has slimmed down a little bit and learned how to climb a bit more. I guess when I signed, I was still a track rider doing teams pursuiting. And since I’m not doing that I’ve leaned up a lot, and I’ve gone from, I guess, trying to target TTs and just being lead-outs for a Viviani or Hayter to now trying to ride GC myself.
I think I’m a completely different rider. There’s not one part of me that wants to go back in a lead-out train anymore. So I think who I am now as a cyclist is a massive difference. I think my first few years, yeah, it was part of that lead-out and using my track power. So now it’s focusing on the climbs and trying to target a Grand Tour.
I think my body’s changed a lot and I think just the way I look at training and have an overview of everything has probably just matured a lot. And I think that’s also thanks to the guys like Richie and Swifty and G [Geraint Thomas].
MdN: Looking at your results in the last few years it feels like you’ve really been on a good trajectory. Second at UAE Tour in 2023, sixth overall at Paris-Nice last year, third and fifth on Giro d’Italia stages last year as well. Do you feel like you’re headed in a good direction?
LP: Yeah, UAE was crazy how that happened that first year. I think that was sort of out of the blue. And I also don’t think it’s a real accurate test of who I was as a rider. The way that race panned out, I think I got … not lucky, but read the race right, and got into a move in the crosswinds that gave me a bit of a buffer come the final day.
But Paris-Nice was a big one. That gave me so much belief as to the trajectory we were going on. I think that was quite a big result for both myself and the team. They believed in me with a four-year contract and it was “OK, we’re going in the right direction.” And that made me really believe we’re on the right pathway to go into becoming a GC rider at Grand Tours.
I mean, the Giro was super special. I think I was fifth after eight or nine stages there, after the TT [stage 7, sorry Luke – ed.], and was able to get a few more top fives in the stages. So I think the trajectory was there. I just unfortunately got sick in that middle week, and we weren’t actually able to see how those three weeks went.
But I think, last year was a massive stepping stone into seeing the legs were there, and the potential is there to hopefully become a GC rider. And that’s where I want to get to this year and continue to take that step and hopefully target a top 10 in a Grand Tour, and continue to be in that fight for those one-week stage races.
I think that’s still definitely where my strength lies, in those one-week stage races with time trials. And then try to put that towards a Grand Tour this year, and just give it everything for three weeks and see where that lands.
MdN: It’s quite similar to what Richie Porte did in his career. He was great in the one-week races, and then targeted GC at Grand Tours …
LP: Yeah, very similar. And I think it’s also similar to how Geraint and Wiggo [Brad Wiggins] came from the track program too, and transformed into that. They had the track background, time trials, and then tried to go into the Grand Tours. Same as Rohan [Dennis]. And the way Richie was dominating one-week races and then turned into a Grand Tour rider.
Richie was pivotal in me becoming a WorldTour rider. I wouldn’t be a WorldTour rider if it wasn’t for Richie. I think it was four years ago on Willunga Hill. He made all of that possible, being able to sign with the team. So yeah, hopefully I can just follow in his footsteps, and if I get half the results he did, it’d be a pretty successful career.
MdN: So you’re going for GC at a Grand Tour this year. Tell me more about that.
LP: I don’t think it’s podium or winning a Grand Tour, but it’s, yeah, trying to see where I can get to in that Grand Tour. It’s ride the three weeks, every single day, full gas, and see where that lands. I think a dream scenario would be, you fall just into that top 10. I think that would be a great stepping stone.
I think sixth at Paris-Nice is great and then I think that next step is a top 10 at a Grand Tour. I think that’s where the trajectory lies. And that’s also maybe a podium at a one-week WorldTour stage race.
I’d love to finish the season and say I was ninth or 10th in a Grand Tour. I think that’d be an amazing stepping stone. Then go for top five the next year, then the following year it’s like “OK, let’s try a podium.” So I think that’s sort of the stepping stones of the direction I want to go.
I look back at the way Geraint did it as well and he struggled a lot in his first few years as a Grand Tour rider, and then he continually got better, until he won the biggest one in the world. So I think he’s a great person to see that it did take time. It didn’t just click.
And I think you do have to have that holistic view of it, because there’s so many young guys that are stepping up right now and podiuming at Grand Tours. And I think the background I came from, that’s not who I am, and it’s going to take a bit longer. So yeah, as long as I can continue to see progression, I think both myself and the team will be happy.
MdN: How do you go about targetting GC at a Grand Tour this year, given that you’ve now got Ben O’Connor on the team as your big marquee signing. How do you guys balance that?
LP: I think it’s actually only a positive for me. I think he’s the big marquee signing with the pressure to get the results, and it sort of allows me to continue to develop. We’re probably not going to be at the same Grand Tours. He’s going to be trying to win one, and I’m going to be trying to target a top-10 result and just develop into a rider. So I think it really allows me to focus on myself and get the best result possible, without the pressure of everyone expecting a result or needing a result for the team’s sake.
MdN: Does that mean you’ll race the Giro or Vuelta and he’ll race the Tour?
LP: I more than likely won’t ride the Tour with Benno, and it’s sort of just working out after this Oz summer, what that’s going to look like. Since the Olympics, I had a massive break then, and haven’t really had a break since that time off. So we really did put a massive emphasis on the Oz summer and doing well here.
I’ll go to UAE [Tour] and Paris-Nice after this. I really wanted to add UAE and it’s a race I love. And then after last year’s Paris-Nice, I wanted to go back there. So they’re the first two races I’ll focus on. And then I’m going to have a bit of a break and work out whether there is enough time, how my body feels, and what to build up to, whether it’s a Giro or if it’s not, focus on a later Grand Tour too.
So I think it’s a really big focus on the start of the year, reset, and then see. If I feel good enough and have enough time to do an altitude camp and build up to the Giro, it’ll be that.
It’s always going to be a focus on a Grand Tour with time trial kilometers and the Giro looks great. The TTs really suit me, and I really look forward to that one and I loved my time there last year. So I’d love to say I can go to the Giro again, and I think I can take a lot from what I learned last year into this year, but it will just depend on how the body is and that might end up being the Vuelta too.
MdN: You mentioned the Paris Olympics there. How do you look back on the Olympics now? You had that big crash in the time trial that meant you needed abdominal surgery, but you were on a great ride to that point …
LP: Yeah, it’s funny, and it’s a weird answer, but that’s the proudest moment I’ve probably had on a bike, to be honest. That whole build-up with the GreenEdge team and my own team I developed within the time trial world; that whole preparation for finishing the Giro, coming back to Australia with a full Olympic focus, going back to Europe with full Olympic focus – we didn’t put a step wrong.
I think every single day was absolutely perfect. We turned up on the day and I was really, really confident. I knew that I really could be in there with a race, and I guess the big dogs of time trialling – I think I saw that they’re not that far away. I could have been right up there. And I really do believe that it could have been a really special result for myself and something that not everyone else would have expected. But I think we knew as a team what I was capable of, and I think the time checks sort of show where that was heading.
So I’m really proud of the condition we got to as a team and everything we did right to be there. And it gives me so much confidence knowing that is the right way of going about it when we prepare for a time trial in the future.
And honestly, just to share that moment with Grace [Brown] when she won. That was so motivating and special to be a part of and I think it just shows how much the Olympics mean to me and to other Aussies.
And if anything, it made me fall in love with the Olympics more having a failure there, and knowing you’ve got four years to wait. I’m counting down those days. I’m really keen to ride LA [the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics] and target that. And obviously Brisbane 2032 – I think there’d be no bigger career achievement than a gold medal there at Brisbane. So the Olympics is why I ride a bike and if anything the failure at Paris has made me more hungry for LA and Brisbane.
MdN: Any lingering effects from that crash at all?
LP: Not now. It was six weeks basically in bed, doing absolutely nothing, and I’ve just got a nice little scar to show for it – a big scar that’s never going to go away. I’m OK now. It took a while to bounce back, but luckily, it wasn’t anything too serious.
This year started awesome, and hopefully we can sort of carry that form into this week at TDU and then going over to Europe. And I think this year is a bit of a GC target, because there’s not major time trials to focus on, and even Rwanda [Worlds] TT at 1,800 meters – I’m not sure if that’s perfect for me, either. So I think I can really set my focus for at least the next couple years on trying to develop into a GC rider, and then obviously, as the Games get closer, can switch the focus back to that a bit.
MdN: We saw you with strapping on your wrist at Nationals. I can still see the residue on there even now. Someone told me you had a crash on Mt. Buffalo before Nationals …
LP: Yeah, I just had a little touchdown two weeks before Nationals. There always seems to be something that goes wrong in my prep in the Aussie summer. It wasn’t a setback or anything. I’m fine about it, but yeah, it’s just never a perfect run into Nationals. I’m all OK. It was just more annoying and a nuisance than anything.
MdN: Was that while climbing or descending?
LP: It was on the way down. I’m fine. It was just more frustrating and made me feel like a bit of an idiot. But yeah, I haven’t missed a session. I mean, Nationals was perfect, and I’m here at TDU trying to get the best result possible. So it was just a bit more of an embarrassing moment; a bit frustrating.
MdN: So, TDU. You come in as one of two leaders for Jayco AlUla, alongside Mauro Schmid. Do you think you can win the race?
LP: Look, I think there’s six or seven guys here that could win. And I think the way the history of TDU is you don’t know if it’s going to be won on bonus seconds or by the climbers. Hopefully it’s won by a climber, and the climbs come into play.
I think this is probably the hardest TDU we’ve ever seen, and I think that leads to the time bonuses or intermediate sprints not being as important. But I think you’ve still got the likes of a [Jhonatan] Narváez or even a Stevie Williams, who are quick boys who can probably climb with the best and maybe snatch a couple bonus seconds.
So I think those two are the ones to watch. But I think there’s the likes of Finn Fisher-Black, Oscar Onley, Jay Vine, myself. I think Harps [Chris Harper] is going to be such an amazing climber too. So I think there’s quite a few climbers that are going to be up there. And if it does come down to a bonus-sprint race, we’ve got Mauro, who could definitely clean up some seconds there, and hopefully climb with the best as well.
So I think we’ve got all bases covered. But I think stage 3 is the decisive GC day. I think that’s where you can win or lose the race. And if you can put yourself in a winning GC position there, then it’s going to be first one over the line on Willunga, I think, which is special. I think that’s how TDU should be, in my opinion.
I think there’s so many years Richie’s won Willunga but hasn’t ended up winning TDU. He only won it a few times after winning Willunga for so many years. So I think the winner of Willunga this year will probably win TDU.
I think it’ll come down to that stage 3 and the Willunga stage. Hopefully I have some climbing legs and can be right up there. I think ever since 2021 with Richie, it’s been a dream to win on Willunga.
MdN: Since you let him win on Willunga you mean …
LP: *Laughing* No, but look, it’d be so special to do well on Willunga. That was the stage that enabled me to become a WorldTour rider, as you know – you were a part of that. So hopefully one day I can achieve being the winner on Willunga, just like Richie did, and I’d love to follow in his footsteps.
MdN: Stage 3 looks a bit like that stage that you won in that COVID-affected edition of TDU – late climb, punching over the top, going solo. Does that look good for you, that stage?
LP: That stage does look really good. I really like the climb. I think the two laps as well will split the bunch up on that first climb. It should be a bit more of a GC shootout that last lap. Which I like – won’t be as hectic, hopefully, and we can just really get down to work and throw some attacks.
You can definitely win or lose the race there – if you get the lead-in wrong and don’t get that first lap right, your race might be over. But I think, yeah, it’d be great to have a great result and then you can set yourself up for a big Willunga showdown.
And you never know with stage 4. Rohan took the race by storm a couple years ago, and that split the whole race up. I think that took everyone by surprise, and I don’t think that’ll happen again this year, but again, I think [stages] three, four and five are massive GC days, which we haven’t had before in TDU, where it’s been three really, really tough days in a row.
So I think it’s definitely going to be a bit of a different race, and I’m keen to see if it’s going to be won on bonus seconds, or it will be the climbers.
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