An Aussie fan-favourite and a long-standing member of the team, Chris has been within the Team dsm-firmenich structure since turning professional in 2017; making him one of the most experienced riders in the team.
Having rode on two wheels for as long as he can remember thanks to his dad, who he always went on bike rides with, Chris’ initial love was for mountain bikes or BMX but in 2016 he switched over to road cycling full time and hasn’t looked back since. In fact, the Aussie still can’t believe he gets to do his passion as his full-time job.
“It seems like such a normal job when you’re on the road but when you take a step back it is a pretty crazy lifestyle, especially when you go to a Grand Tour. The rest of the world doesn’t exist; you go into a black hole of bus – race – bus – hotel, you just don’t see anything else. It still amazes me that this is my job and I want to be doing it as long as possible.”
He did also try his hand at football, basketball, and tennis when he was younger and despite stopping them pretty early as a young teenager; he learnt how to become a team player from those sports. It is something which has aided his cycling career as an often-unsung hero and makes Chris even more appreciative when things go well for him, and he is the finisher.
“In this game you can spend a lot of time feeling like you’re banging your head against the wall, with the suffering and so on. When you have a race and you’re in form and are one of the top guys though, then it is amazing. It’s really nice when the other guys work for you, it’s such a good feeling to then give something back with a good result. Spending a lot of time working as a domestique myself, I know how much work they do.”
A sociable person, Chris is happy to talk to anyone and finds himself as someone the younger guys turn to for a chat and some advice. Describing himself as “funny”, “patient” and “outgoing”, Chris thinks that he brings a good atmosphere to the group and that he is always willing to work for the end goal, no matter how long it takes or how hard it can be. Conversely though, he also likes to have some fun on the way and “not take life too serious”.
A true fan of just riding his bike, Chris hopes that he will be able to pursue his passion for many more years and hopes to continue to make steps to be as great a teammate as possible, but he is ready and motivated to give everything for the best result when he gets his chance as finisher too.
One of his favourite past times is working on his many cars and motorbikes, such as his now famous Holden Maloo which takes pride of place at his family home in Australia, or the Vespa he has with him in his in-season residence in Spain. He also enjoys some Australian alternative music, chilling with friends and in the past few years he’s taken up the sport of golf thanks to his partner who herself is a pro.
