00:00What do you know about your team's history with the distinctive jersey at the Giro d'Italia?
00:08You are forgiven if you don't know that the first Maglia Rosa was also from Oceania,
00:12Bradley McGee, but what has your team told you about the recent conquest of these distinctive
00:19jerseys?
00:21I remember vividly watching Arno when he won the Maglia Ciclamino and took four stage wins
00:31I think, or three. I remember this very well, just from watching the racing. It was really
00:39cool to see him and his train be so successful here. The team has good experience in the
00:45sprints here, so I'll try and use that experience and really take it on board. I think it's
00:55a beautiful jersey, so if we can get our hands on it, we'll definitely try.
01:01How extraordinary is it that for your first Grand Tour, you are the leader. How did that
01:08happen and how do you handle those responsibilities?
01:14It's really a great privilege to have support from the team and have leadership in the stages
01:22that suit me. The team is there to help me succeed and to handle those responsibilities.
01:32I've taken on a new role this year, so I knew I would have some more leadership, but to
01:38have leadership in a Grand Tour, it's really a big step up. I take it day by day. I don't
01:46feel too much pressure, but I really want to succeed and do well for myself and my teammates
01:54and for the team. It's a great privilege to have leadership in my first Grand Tour.
02:02What would be a good result for you in this first Grand Tour and what does it scare you the most?
02:10I think for me, winning a stage would be a huge result. I was able to go close in the
02:21World Tour level at Paris-Nice in the sprint stages, so I think to really be successful
02:29here, we're here to win a stage and maybe even chase the Ciclamino jersey, if I can
02:36have consistent results each day and I'm not too fatigued. It's a long race and something
02:46I've never done before, so we're not too sure how I'll respond. What I'm most scared about
02:53is probably the unknown of a Grand Tour. I've never done a three-week race or anything
03:00longer than 10 days, really.
03:03How did your preparation went after a long sprint?
03:07It was not too bad. It wasn't as smooth as I would have hoped it to be. Having crashed
03:16at the end of Paris-Roubaix, I ended my classic season with a nice result there, but for sure
03:24it's never nice having to crash. It took some time to prepare and really get back into shape,
03:34but I think I'm here with a good level and I'll take it day by day to see where I'm at.
03:44It might take me some time to find my feet in the stages and really soak up the atmosphere,
03:50but I think I'm ready and super motivated.
03:54If you have any ambition for the first stage and for the first Maglia Rosa, or do you think
03:58that it will be too hard?
04:01I think it could be too hard now. Looking at the stage with the new finish, I think
04:07it might be a little bit too far. With the old stage, the original plan, I definitely
04:13would have been going for it and had that as a big goal, but now I think it could be
04:19too hard for me just with the climb so close to the finish. If Taddei wants to make the
04:28race hard, I don't think I'll be there anymore.
04:32Why did you choose the Giro to start your Grand Tour career?
04:36I think with the parkours this year, it suits me quite well with the sprints and the harder
04:44stages that could finish in a reduced bunch. For my first Grand Tour, I think it's going
04:52to be a good experience and parkours that can suit me well. That's why we decided to
05:01come to Italy.
05:02How old were you when you first watched the Giro d'Italia on TV and who were your first
05:11Giro d'Italia heroes?
05:13Good question. I think I must have been quite young. I could not tell you an exact age,
05:25but I think the thing I remember most about the Giro and the stage that sticks with me
05:34is the stage where Chris Froome did the great solo to take the pink jersey. I also vividly
05:44remember Tom Dumoulin when he was in the pink jersey as a big figure. That was when I really
05:52first started taking notice of cycling and watching the racing was when Tom Dumoulin
05:59won the pink jersey at the Giro.
06:03Did you ever play rugby or aiming to become an all-black?
06:05I'll start with the second question first. I did play rugby growing up at primary school.
06:14I was on the left wing. I had a little bit of speed. I think most kids in New Zealand
06:21grow up playing rugby. For me, being an all-black was not my dream. For sure, it was almost
06:32every boy's dream in New Zealand, but the main goal for me was an Olympia. I did a lot
06:40of other sports. The Olympics was more of a dream than being an all-black.
06:48Can you do the haka if you win a stage?
06:51I could do a haka. I know my high school haka still quite well, so maybe for a few people
06:59I could do a haka.
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