Joe Gambles, a man on a mission
So Lake Stevens was the almost raced last year, and this year you took out the win how have things changed for you in the last 12 months?
Well I guess Lake Stevens last year was a breakthrough race for me. I wasn’t disappointed at all to lose to Luke Bell when he’s been someone that I’ve looked up to I guess for the last three/four years. I was just happy that I beat Chris Legh who got third. To be coming off the bike with those guys last year, and running head to head, and then getting second it gave me the confidence to keep pushing on knowing that I can match it with the best guys in the sport. That little bit of confidence goes a long way in this sport, and you don’t need to improve much to go from not being recognised at all to getting some good exposure, and getting on the podium which is what it’s all about.
You’ve been a bit of a quiet achiever haven’t you? You’ve just snuck up in the last couple of seasons. It’s been a little bit of a quiet ride, but now you seem to be getting recognised pretty much all over the country over there?
Yes. I did all my racing really as a junior from Tasmania. I just raced national series races, and then like tried to make the under 23 World Championship Team. I didn’t manage that, but still did a lot of my racing in Australia. I then did about two/two and a half years racing in Europe, so I guess that’s probably why I’ve been quiet. I raced for a German team, did my own thing, just got some experience, and then yeah I guess the at races in America you get a bit more exposure. With this 70.3 series everyone seems to follow it, and it’s great for building a profile in the sport which is really important if you want to make a living out of it.
And is that for you something that you’ve aspired to do to make a living out of professional sports?
It’s always been in the back of my mind. It’s every athlete’s dream to be full time, and I actually went full time with it 18 months ago. Before then I would come home to Australia, and I was working as a coach or a personal trainer in Melbourne. In the seasons before that I was sometimes in Europe, so I was doing the same sort of thing, or I’d be in Tassie and I’d be working over at the University. So to be full time is fantastic, and not many people can make it as a full time triathlete. Lots of people do have to work to support their hobby/profession, so I’m really happy to be in the position I’m in now. Hopefully it just keeps getting better, and I’m able to keep doing this until I retire when I don’t know, Craig Alexander is 36 so maybe…
It’s a tough sport isn’t it to try and make a living out of though, it’s not golf or tennis?
Definitely. It’s the sponsorship, especially in Australia, that’s hard to come by. Chris McCormack, three/four years ago gave me some advice, and he probably can’t remember giving it to me, but he basically said go to America, and race when you’re not racing in Australia. Go to America and just commit to racing there, and give it a few years. You’ll get your name out there, have some consistent racing, and the sponsors will start looking after you, and that’s basically what’s happened. Last year it didn’t really happen much, but this year they’ve started to approach me which is something new.
In order to improve and to get more out of yourself have you consulted with people inside the sport or how’s that evolution happened?
I’ve always been self coached but along the way I’ve worked with some really great coaches and mentors, like Shaun Stevens who was with the QAS. He helped me out, three/four years ago. And I like being in Boulder. We’re training with the best guys in the world. I’ve trained with Craig Alexander and he’s always happy to offer some advice, and give you some training tips. Also, people like Greg Bennett are the same. They’re more than happy to share what they do, and if you can do it good luck to you.
What’s it like training with Crowie? He’s certainly one of the world elite. Does that help motivate you?
For sure. When you turn up to swim training and you’ve got Craig Alexander in the lane with you, it keeps you on your toes. You see they have bad days too, they turn up to the pool and they look like they’ve had no sleep, and they look like they should have a couple of days off. It’s good to see because when you see them at a race they’re fresh and ready to go, so it’s good to see that. It spurs you on to realise that they are human, and they do have bad days. Just surrounding yourself around the quality of athletes in Boulder it’s bound to bring you on, you start matching them in training, and then you believe you can do it in a race. It has a knock on effect.
How’s he looking for Kona this year?
He’s looking very good. Actually I just got an email from a magazine asking for my top three men and women picks, and I’ve got him number one. I have also got Andy Potts in there.
Andy Potts?
Yeah I think is a bit of a dark horse. He’s committed to doing the Ironman this year. Last year he didn’t even train for it really, well he said he didn’t, and this year he’s committed to doing well and I think he will.
But your bag at the moment is the 70.3 and tell us for those who haven’t seen a lot of this racing tell us a bit about it the style of racing.
Oh it is it’s super fast and it’s you can still race it that’s why I’m not overly keen to go to Ironman just yet. 70.3 it’s really fast and you can really put your head down and go for it. It’s not so wait and see how the race unfolds which is Ironman. We’re averaging well above 40 kilometres an hour on tough courses, and getting off and like if you want to win it you’ve got to run a 1:14 unless you come off the bike with a huge lead. But it’s quick and it’s good though. The half Iron Man pace is coming down all the time. I think last year at Clearwater the guy who ran fastest, was a 1:10 so it’s moving.
It certainly is. Now you’re away a lot from home what do you miss when you’re away?
Just being around family and friends. A lot of my friends are actually professional bike riders or triathletes themselves, so it’s good. They might be off in Europe racing, I go back to Tassie and then it’s eight months since we seen each other. I miss my parents, my sister and my brother as I don’t get to see them much. My mum and sister came out to Boulder last month so they were here to watch Vineman so my victory was in front of my mum and sister. I told them that it might be expensive to have them at every race but obviously they were good luck that day (laughs).
One of the big races this year was the REV3 race. That was jam packed with plenty of good pros, tell me did the race live up to the hype?
It was really good like it’s hopefully going to set a new standard in race coverage. I think Ironman races are great but I never get to see the coverage but talking to my parents and friends and they’re sort of it’s hard to follow them, especially when they’ve got up at 1 o‘clock in the morning they will try and follow online.
So REV3 was great for that, and can they could see it this year, it was good. The prize money has just lifted it. I think 70.3 prize money has been pretty standard for the last five years, so hopefully that will raise the bar a little bit. It’s hard to make a living and with prize money like 70.3 series unless you win or you’re on the podium it’s hard to make ends meet, all you can do with it basically is covering the cost to get to the race. You might make a few hundred dollars profit but that’s not living (laughs) It’s so much stress on the bank account it’s not much fun, I’ve been there and I know a lot of my friends in that position, it’s tough.
So one last one before we let you go who’s the fastest guy you’ve seen all season outside of yourself of course?
(laughs)Well Matt Reed is going to be a force to be reckoned with in Clearwater. He races a lot so he might be a little bit tired by that time. But he was pretty impressive at California this year. He came off the bike with seven people. Guys like Andy Potts, Luke Bell and Ritchie Cunningham and he just ran away from us so he’s definitely going to be favourite for Clearwater Then there’s another guy, Tim O’Donnell. An American. I trained with him in Boulder he’s a good friend actually, he will be good as well he’s won a couple of 70.3’s now. He won St.Croix and he won Calgary so watch out for him.
Clearwater is where you’re headed at the end of the season, and no doubt your roads are leading to that so good luck and we look forward to following you as you do that.
For sure and I’m also looking forward to it, there’s still a few months away yet so I’ve got some solid training ahead of me before then, but hopefully it goes well and I have a good race.
In case you missed it we thought we'd show THAT sprint finish from Lake Stevens 70.3 2008
if you can't see this your firewall might be blocking the fun. The link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwpAAXJp2zM
Back
