Cannondale Chairside Chats: George Bennett (part three)

We’ve been chatting to Cannondale Pro Cycling’s only Kiwi, George Bennett. After a wander down memory lane, we’ve whipped out the G4 crystal ball to see what the future might hold for him.

G4: Who have you been sharing a room with?

GB: Alan Marangoni It’s been good. Every day we have English and Italian lessons. He even did his first tweet in English not so long ago.

This training camp is a good chance for me to improve my english…my teacher is my room mate,the newzealand man @georgenbennett!!!

I’ve been translating cycling news articles into Italian while he’s been watching “The Late Show in English”. We’re slowly getting there. I even surprised myself the other day when I understood a conversation. I think I’m not making progress and then slowly I start to understand. It comes in waves. Once I can start conversing with people then it’ll snowball.

G4: What’s happened to your blog?

GB: I hadn’t updated it in a while because I wanted to upgrade it to a site which is now live (www.georgebennettcycling.com). Initially the blog was a good way to keep in touch with family and friends, then Twitter came along. But what you can really say in 140 letters?

Being active on social media is really important right now. I know a rider in the US who has a blog with a huge fan base, writes magazine articles, sells bikes and he recently got signed to a team because of that. I didn’t believe it at first but evidently that type of exposure is worth a lot.

G4: It’s early days but what are you hoping to achieve with Cannondale Pro Cycling?

GB: Two main things, but basically I want to improve the gradient of the learning curve I’m on. I made huge jumps at Trek and RadioShack but I feel Cannondale can offer me greater development opportunities. Then I want to start winning races again and, of course, be part of some of the team’s big wins. When I was a stagiere with RadioShack we won Colorado and Utah with Levi back in 2011, but I haven’t won too much since. It’s such a great feeling winning races; I want to get back into that.

G4: I’m sure you will George. Now let’s fast forward to future, you’re bouncing your grandchildren on your knee what would like to be able to tell them about your successful career as a bike rider?

GB: I’d like to able to tell them about the time I won a stage in the Tour de France; rode the Tour and competed for the overall. How many countries I saw, how many greats I rode with, people I met, lessons I learnt……Oh, and I’ll probably write a book called “Arseholes I’ve met on the way”. I’ve unfortunately met some of the snakes in the business.

If they take anything from what I’ve done, I’d like it to be that they do whatever they want to do whether that’s cycling, the law, whatever. Just that they find a way to make a career out of what they love. You do only live once and you have to make the most of it.

G4: George that’s so true and it’s a good takeaway for all of us. Thanks for your time, good luck and we’ll catch up with you again later in the season.

Links: G4-on line boutique, George Bennett’s website, Part one, Part two