In the latest entry in our Ten Questions series, Escape Collective caught up with Israel-Premier Tech’s Stevie Williams after a breakthrough season that saw him climb to victory at the Tour Down Under, La Flèche Wallonne, and the Tour of Britain.
The 28-year-old Welshman tells us about his perfect long ride, his passion for woodworking, and more …
Dane Cash: Who were your biggest influences getting into the sport?
Stevie Williams: My friends that I grew up riding with. When I was around 16, 17, when I moved to South Wales, there was people a few years older than me that I trained with, and they sort of took me under their wing. Welsh Cycling as an organization, who gave me the opportunities when I was 17, 18, 19, as an amateur, to try and make the step. I feel like that had a big influence my career, along with friends and family.
DC: You come from Aberystwyth on the west coast of Wales, and as far as we can tell you’re already one of the best Welsh-speaking cyclists of all time. How did your Welsh roots mold you into the person and rider you’ve become?
SW: I’m a really proud Welshman. That’s something I’m really proud of. In terms of on the bike, I think the weather perhaps, yeah. I mean, everywhere gets shit weather, really, in Europe. I think there’s just something perhaps … if you look at the rugby team, if you look at the football team, or any sport in Wales, we’re all very passionate – and we love to do it for Wales. And whenever I pull, well the Commonwealth Games is the only place we pull the Welsh jersey on, but when you do pull it on, to have the dragon on the back is really special. So, yeah, really proud to be Welsh.
DC: Outside of PhysEd, what was your best subject in school? What do you think you would do for a living if you weren’t in sports?
SW: Design technology, woodwork. I think I’d be a carpenter and joiner. I left school when I was 16 and I did my apprenticeship. I was doing that for a few years before I joined JLT Condor in 2016. I love my woodworking and joinery is a passion. Perhaps in the future, once I’m done with cycling perhaps I’ll go back and, yeah, see if I can remember anything.
DC: Without mentioning cycling, how would your friends describe you?
SW: I think they’d say bit of a wind-up. Annoying. Always up for a joke and a laugh. Somebody that doesn’t take things too seriously when you know you’re in a friendly environment or out and about. Truly, having a laugh, just sitting around with your mates and just chatting is so good.
DC: Is there a rider in the peloton you’d want to be more like?
SW: I want to try and make my own way and have my own way of racing – but if there was a different answer, I’d say that if I’ve looked up to somebody for a number of years and the way he races, and how he goes about things, I’d say it’s [Julian] Alaphilippe. To me he’s just one of the best. When I’m obviously now racing against him shoulder to shoulder, that makes it even more special.
DC: How would you describe your perfect long ride?
SW: Five hours. Four of you, great chat, no efforts, two cafe stops, good weather. Like, just time on the clock. That’s ideal. I’m not like, a massive lover of huge seven-hour rides. I rarely do them. Five hours, to me, is the sweet spot for a long ride. If you’re doing a long ride, well, then five hours should be enough.
If I’m at home in Wales, I’ll probably head up the coast towards Machynlleth, go up to Dolgellau around Barmouth, over the coastal bridge there, that brings you back and along the shoreline, back inland to towards the Cambrian Mountains, and then down the coast again, then home. When the weather is good, it doesn’t get better than that. I used to do it a lot when I was amateur and I lived in Wales and I tried to make it. I really enjoyed doing that with my local club, good friends and stuff. That’s the ticket.
DC: Are there things about life as a pro bike racer that you wish fans knew more about?
SW: I think this could go for any sport: Just how hard it is. Like on the TV, we all do, it if we’re watching sport, we’re like, ‘Fuck, why has he not done that? Why did you not pass the ball? Shoot it!’ This is off-topic but Steph Curry, for example, I like the NBA, when you see him shooting threes from the car park, as an athlete you realize how long it’s taken him to do that and to perfect that. It’s like you can’t even comprehend. The amount of skill and sacrifice that takes, and even as bike riders, how hard we train, and what you have to do just to get even a sniff of a result, and we hardly ever win, right? Obviously, one or two riders win consistently, but you know, 95% of the peloton rarely win, and you still have to train as hard as the guys winning …
It’s pretty brutal. I think, just to know how brutal it is. And you know, the fans are great. Without fans, it’d be wasted time, sport. Wherever the biggest crowds are is where you want to be.
DC: How do you relax when you aren’t on the bike?
SW: I love movies, always have since I was young, so I’d say putting a movie on or spending time with friends or family watching football. I am a big supporter of Liverpool. I watch them a lot and follow them, and also cricket as well.
DC: So what’s your favorite movie?
SW: There’s a few. If I was going to try and pick three … The Last of the Mohicans with Daniel Day Lewis, Carlito’s Way with Al Pacino and Sean Penn, and maybe The Departed. If you can find me three better movies than that … I’ve got loads, I’m just thinking of more now, like The Godfather. I really like Al Pacino. Scorsese, De Niro, that sort of era is unreal. Also a few Tarantino. Django [Unchained] – unreal movie.
DC: If you’ve just scored a huge win, what are you eating to celebrate?
SW: A good curry. My favorite meal to have out is a curry. Pilau rice, lamb dhansak, garlic naan. It doesn’t get better. There’s a lot of curry houses in Wales and I miss them when I’m away. I think there’s one or two in Andorra and they’re not quite there. No, they’re still good. But yeah. I’d say something with the guys to celebrate, and all the staff, the guys and the girls.
When you take a step back and look on the inside, you know how many small pieces go into such a result. That makes you grateful and your gratitude towards them is important to make sure that they understand that without their support and help, you don’t win races. It’s the same with the riders who are my teammates, even if roles reverse and I’m supporting. Cycling is strange in terms of one person gets their hands in the air, but it takes an absolute mammoth team effort to get it across the line. So it’s important to stay grateful and respectful and make sure everybody understands how how important their role is.
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