Quiz Time: Sam Shepard (trainSharp Orro)

Racing for trainSharp Orro Elite team in 2024 is Sam Shepard, a stage winner in the Surrey 2 Day last year and as a former Mountain biker, Sam is looking forward to the CiCLE Classic in April!

Quiz Time: Sam Shepard (trainSharp Orro)

Q. Being part of a strong team for 2024, has that helped make your winter training faster and provided lots of motivation?
Sam: Definitely. Riding alongside riders who I have looked up to over the last few years has definitely boosted my motivation for this winter.

Q. How much training in the winter each week are you able to do?
Sam: This winter I have been testing myself a lot. Increasing the amount of volume I have been doing. I’ve had weeks where I have been around the 25-hours-a-week mark quite consistently.

Q: Does the number of hours in the saddle change a lot in the winter going from base work to intervals and top end work?
Sam: Definitely, in December and January, I completed my biggest months ever, with the only intensity being a few sweetspot efforts, and a few town sign sprints.

Q. What’s been the hardest challenge for you this winter in sticking to a training schedule?
Sam: I’ve been pretty consistent this winter, but getting COVID over Christmas was definitely the biggest challenge, it also didn’t help that I didn’t actually realise I had Covid till after I recovered after I ended up giving it to my family.

Q. Looking back at the 2023 season, what race was the most fun to do?
Sam: Lincoln, the mix of short climbs and technical ability is something that suits me.

Q. What race was the toughest on the legs and head in 2023?
Sam: I would have to say Ryedale, mainly because I was ill, and didn’t really realise until the morning of the race, but I had driven like 6 hours to get there, so I thought, how bad could it be… VERY BAD is what. I struggled to pedal over about 300w.

Q. Do you put pressure on yourself for results or just go out there to enjoy it and grab a result if its there to be taken?
Sam: It’s always nice to go for results, but I think my worst races are the ones where I have gone in thinking I have a good chance of getting a decent result. I find that when I’m enjoying the race I get the best results.

Q: What’s your favourite discipline in racing – ie, road races, crits, time trials?
Sam: Definitely crits, they are the epitome of British racing in my opinion. Although getting a result in a road race definitely means a lot more to me.

Q. What performance are you most proud of from 2023?
Sam: Probably winning stage 2 of the Surrey 3 (2) day. Mainly because it was a circuit which I had really psyched myself out about as it was a super Bergy course, so wanted to just get round, but I actually managed to win.

Q. Are their specific races in 2024 you are looking forward to most?
Sam: Coming from a MTB background I want to say that I am looking forwards to Cicle classic this year, as I have always wanted to do it, although as many people have told me, its not quite as fun as it looks, especially if it rains.

Q. What goals are important to your for 2024?
Sam: This year to me is a year of proving myself to myself really. I don’t have any specific goals in mind currently, but I have a few target races id like to peak for.

Good luck Sam in 2024!

 

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