"It’s a shame not to be on the mountain bike for the World Cups, but I’m really happy with this opportunity" - Sam Gaze about his grand tour debut

Alpecin-Deceuninck's Sam Gaze has spent the past couple of days in Andorra. So far, so normal, given the Mountain Bike World Cup took place here at the weekend. But the Kiwi hasn’t been on his mountain bike. Instead, he has been part of the Vuelta a España as it has rolled in and out of the Pyrenees.

"We decided about a month ago to race the Vuelta, predominantly for my development. Next year is a very important year with the Olympics and we thought this was a good idea," Gaze told GCN. "It’s a shame not to be on the mountain bike for the World Cups, but I’m really happy with this opportunity."

"Mountain bike races are only like 80-90 minutes long but it’s really intense racing. The depth from a three-week race means you can actually head out harder and hold on," he said. "Obviously I haven’t done a Grand Tour so I don’t know now exactly what benefits I’ll get out of it, but a lot of guys who have done them say it changes them, so let’s hope it’s the same for me."

"I definitely think races like Roubaix and Flanders - the Classics - really suit me," he said when asked about the type of rider he sees himself becoming. "I raced Strade Bianche this year, and I really like the idea of those races. I’m unsure what exactly I could accomplish but all the things point to the possibility that I could also have a successful time on the road."