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Interview: Arnaud Tournant
The kilo man crosses over to keirin
He came to the Sydney round of the World Cup hoping to do well in the keirin, but French kilo specialist Arnaud Tournant was disappointed in his performance. But, as he tells Karen Forman, he still hopes to make the change to the more lucrative keirin in the near future. Perhaps he just needs to keep away from Australia. . .
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It's a long way from France to Australia, and Arnaud Tournant must be wondering if the 20-odd-hour stint in the air is worth it. On his last visit, for the 2000 Olympics, the man who went on to crack the minute barrier for the kilo bombed out of the event in which he held two rainbow jerseys.
That was a hell trip for the affable 24-year-old from Roubaix. Instead of taking the gold as commentators, countrymen and indeed, most of the international cycling fraternity had predicted, he finished a miserable fifth. Even a gold in the team sprint didn't make up for his disappointment in failing to win an Olympic gold to add to his two world championships.
Despite that, he told cycling journalists on his arrival in Sydney this month for the World Cup, that he wasn't allowing himself to be spooked by the experience.
In fact, he was going out for one better - the keirin. Was that strange? A proven time triallist converting to an event that requires one to be able to sprint? Apparently not.
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"I want to give it a go," he told Cyclingnews.com through an interpreter, not quite confident enough with his English. "The kilo is my favourite, because racing against the clock is purely physical. But I would like to start doing the keirin. And do the keirin circuit in Japan."
Hmm. Everyone knows the Japanese keirin circuit is somewhat lucrative, especially if you win. Is Tournant perhaps thinking of making some cash?
"I don't race for money for myself, for the public," he said. "I prefer that way of racing. I am happy to make some money of course, but it is not the most important thing."
Unfortunately his optimism was a little premature. Tournant, winner of the kilo and the team sprint at the first World Cup round in Mexico and reigning world sprint, kilo and Olympic sprint champion, did not perform well throughout the three-day World Cup meet on the same velodrome he suffered his Olympic nightmare.
Not only did he fail to do well in the keirin, but he got beaten in a heat of the sprint rounds by a zealous world keirin champion, Ryan Bayley, the Aussie himself trying something a little different from his pet event. Tournant was seen throwing up in the in-field after the match. Something he ate?
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Although the Frenchman made it through to the sprint final, another Aussie - Bayley's Australian Institute of Sport team-mate Sean Eadie - was there to ensure he didn't leave Australia's shores with a gold medal.
Eadie, in the best form of his career, put in a stunning performance to take the gold in two dynamic, tactical sprints.
He also won the keirin - the event Tournant had hoped to do well in.
"I was not happy with the way it was going," Tournant said. Not surprisingly.
"I am very disappointed with my keirin result . . . fourth. I really wanted to be on the podium."
Still, he had to be practical. "It was only my second keirin I have raced so . . . Anyway, it was a tactical mistake. I didn't place myself right."
(He actually took sixth wheel behind the derny, but managed to get himself into third place before the derny pulled away).
"I got swamped, basically, in the sprint," he explained.
He said he had made the decision to try to become a keirin rider after placing fourth in his first keirin in Bordeaux last year.
"I thought of giving it a go to see if I could learn how to ride it," he said.
"I did not identify to be world champion or to win every race, but first to learn. There is a definite physical and mental strategy for the keirin."
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As any kilo rider knows, to be a time triallist requires a great deal of specialised training. And kilo riders can only peak a couple of times a year, max, whereas their sprinter counterparts can return for race after race in comparison.
"For one event, for the kilo, I am training for 12 months, twice a day, seven days a week," Tournant said. "Plus weights. I can then do three or four kilos in the year."
This year, he said, his goal is to retain his kilo world championship and clinch gold in the sprint and team sprint.
He is also looking ahead to the 2004 Athens Olympics.
"I feel I haven't finished the job I was here to do in Sydney, so my goal now is Greece," he said.
"After Greece I will probably give up the kilo and concentrate on the sprint and the keirin, to do the keirin circuit in Japan."
He mightn't have performed so well in Australia, but he doesn't see why he won't achieve his goals.
"I am a hard worker, very serious, very motivated," he said. "I see myself as being an open person who talks to people but also a bit shy."
Asked about his world champion's diet, he laughed and said: "I don't like beer but I do like champagne. But when it's time to work, to work hard, there is not drinking.
"The strength of cycling is being as fit as you can."
And life after cycling? Has he thought about it?
"Anything but coach!" he said with a laugh.
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"I would love to deal with very young cyclists. I am not interested in national level, but I would like to teach little kids how to ride the bike."
The question has to be asked. How does he feel about Australia - particularly racing in Australia - after his last two poor experiences.
"I have been in Australia four times - once in Perth and three times in Sydney and I love Australia, especially the people," he said.
Obviously enough to sit in an airplane for 20 hours?
"Oui," he confirmed. "I will be back."
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