If you have been following the world cups over the past few seasons you will have seen some of the new, young, up and coming riders who are moving up through the ranks. One of these riders is Luca Shaw, who has steadily been notching up some impressive results. Luca hails from the United States of America but spent a few months in Australia training during the off season, we caught up with him Adelaide just before he boarded a plane home to a snowy North Carolina. This is what he had to say;
Hey Luca, thanks for chatting to us, you’ve been in Australia for a couple of months now, how did that come about:
I kind of just wanted to change it up a little bit, A�I graduated in the spring so it is my first year without school and it gets a bit cold at home, I wanted to to do a lot of riding over winter or I guess the summer, off season, whatever you call it! Connor (Fearon) had mentioned coming and staying over in Adelaide for a little while so I decided to give it a go and yeah it has been awesome! Definitely had a lot of fun and appreciate Connor and his family for putting me up for a couple of months, it has been great.
You did some racing over here, in Thredbo for the Cannonball Festival, what was that like, I guess for you guys it is not the most serious race of the year:
Yeah it was good, it was kind of a last minute thing, we realised just as I was getting here that the race was on so we drove up there, it was cool. I hadn’t been riding much downhill so it was the first time I had ridden (downhill) since world championships so it was good to get on the downhill bike. Didn’t take it too serious but there were some fast dudes there and I was stoked to get 4th and not too far off the pace, it was an awesome weekend on a good track.
You’ve been doing a lot of trail riding by the looks, how do trails here in Australia and Adelaide compare to back home and across the world:
The trails here are sweet, we’ve been riding trails every single day and there are definitely enough to not get bored, we keep going new places every time, there is a lot of variety. They’re not the biggest hills in the world but you do a good job with what you have.
You have been keeping up the training sessions while your over here no doubt:
Haha yeah between the parmy (this is a schnitzel topped with cheese and tomato, sometimes ham – often called by other names around the world) and bakery sessions we have been getting a little sweat out! Nah we have been riding everyday and hitting the gym with Connor so we have been putting in the hard yards whilst on holidays for sure.
Looking forward to the rest of the year you will be back in Australia for the Cairns world cup as well as racing the rest of the world cup series. What goals have you set for the series:
It will be going into my second elite series so feeling a bit more comfortable, last year it was one of those things I didn’t really know what to expect from myself. This year I really want to stay consistent in the top 20 and hopefully top 10s, I think if everything lines up I could get a podium if I have a good race and have a good season going. I am just excited to see how well I can do, I am pumped for it, I am not as nervous as I was last year I am more excited, last year I was a bit nervous going into the elite. With that and another year on Santa Cruz, last year I was my first year on the new bike so everything was a bit different. I think it is going to be a good year, I can’t wait for it!
Moving on to something a bit more ‘lifestyle’ Connor bought a van recently and it looks like you guys have beenA�doing a lot of activities with it, are you all about the #vanlife:
We have been going pretty steady on the van life the past couple of months and I don’t have a van at the moment but I’ve had a van for a while and I think when I am back home I am going to be in the market looking for a van!
I guess the next question that arises if you go down the van route is ‘are you going to buy a trangia’:
It goes hand in hand, it will be rude not to, it kind of comes with it – at least that is what I expect!
Have you been watching American sports whilst you’re over here:
Not as much as I would like to, A�that’s probably the worst thing about my trip, it is in the midst of NFL football season, you can’t really help it when you grow up from where I am from (North Carolina) you have no choice! I woke up at 6.30am to watch the Carolina Panthers play and they took the ‘W’ so they’re moving on. Next weekend NFL play offs are going strong so that is what I am going to do when I am crying about not being in the warmth!
What Australian food are you going to miss, for example have you had Tim Tams, are they all they are cracked up to be:
No they’re good, definitely but the number 1 and 2 things I am going to miss the most are meat pies from the bakery, had way too many of those! And chicken parmys, from any good pub in Adelaide, to be specific the Ed!
You haven’t been paid to say that:
No!
On that note, let’s finish up the interview, we still have a few more pics below but for now we wish Luca all the best for the up coming season!
Images:A�KaneophotoA�www.kaneophoto.com.auA�or on Instagram @kaneophoto and stock Downhill247.com images.
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