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  5. Episode 44: “Lukas Nerurkar interview”

Brother UK Cycling Podcast – Episode 44

Episode Description

Lukas Nerurkar is one of a handful of young British riders who will graduate to the UCI WorldTour in 2024. The Brighton teenager is the son of the British Olympian Richard Nerurkar and spent the first seven years of his life in Ethiopia. Mount Entoto hosted his formative cycling experiences.

In June, Lukas won a stage of the Baby Giro, a prestigious U23 race featuring some of the mountain passes used by the Giro d’Italia. He also won the white jersey competition at the professional Gran Camino race, an event won by two-time Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma).

Trinity Racing has aided Lukas’ path to the top as an under-23. The British-registered UCI Continental team offers its riders an early immersion into the lifestyle of a professional cyclist.

Lukas shares a house in Girona with Trinity graduate and soon-to-be team-mate at EF Education-EasyPost, Ben Healey, the Irish champion.

In a revealing interview, Lukas describes his childhood in Ethiopia, growing up in a household accustomed to elite sporting success, his journey into cycling via the Preston Park club and VC Londres, and his decision to pursue a pathway to the top from overseas, rather than the struggling domestic scene.

He offers insights into the value of a cycling education delivered by former British champions Pete Kennaugh and Ian Stannard, explains how he bounced back to win at the Baby Giro a

day after his race derailed on the mighty Stelvio Pass, and discusses his continued evolution as a rider.

Timothy John, co-host of the Brother UK Cycling Podcast and former editor of RoadCycliingUK.com and Rouleur.cc, leads an engaging conversation with Nerurkar, a talented and engaging young man on the cusp of a bright future in road cycling’s top tier.

 
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Episode 44: Lukas Nerurkar interview

Episode contents

  • 00.02 – Intro
  • 00.38 – Hello and Welcome
  • 01.05 – Part One: The Big Time
  • 03.02 – Part Two: Park Life
  • 04.50 – Part Three: Paternal Influence
  • 09.30 – Part Four: London Calling
  • 15.11 – Part Five: Pro life
  • 20.53 – Part Six: Domestic Issues
  • 26.48 – Part Seven: Results Business
  • 31.57 – Part Eight: Bright Future

Transcript

Introduction

Timothy John

“If your passion lies in elite British road racing and you want an inside line on the teams, riders, organisers and sponsors that make this sport such a compelling spectacle, you’re in the right place.

“I’m Timothy John and joining me for every episode is my co-host, the Managing Director of Brother UK, Phil Jones.”

Phil Jones 

“Thanks, Tim. It’s great to be here. We’re going to use this platform to talk about all the key issues surrounding the sport. With special guests, deep dives into hot topics and plenty of chat, we’ll keep you informed about all things UK racing. Stay tuned!”

Hello and welcome

Timothy John

“Hello and welcome to this new edition of the Brother UK Cycling Podcast. 

“Now, despite reaching the end of the road season, there is still plenty going on in domestic cycling, not least with the continued progress of British Cycling’s Task Force.

“This a panel of eight experts, handpicked by British Cycling CEO Jon Dutton to consider the future of British road racing.

“Phil, you, of course, are one of the panellists. Can bring us up to speed with the progress made so far?”
 
 

Part One: The Big Time

Timothy John 

“Did I get the pronunciation right?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, you got that spot on. The best I’ve heard.”

Timothy John

“It’s all downhill from here, but that's good to know.”

“Well, look, congratulations on getting this place with EF Education-EasyPost. You must be delighted.”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, yeah, really excited. It’s come about quite quickly since the start of the year, but now I’m looking forward to joining them.”

Timothy John 

“Did you know anybody on the team in advance? There are quite a few English-speakers; Charlie Wegelius, of course, and English DS. Tim Harris I know is somewhere in the background. How did the connection come about?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Well, it’s an English-speaking team, and I’m currently living with Ben Healey. I’ve been living with him about a year now, so that helps. And just living in Girona, as well. You meet lots of different riders. A few of them are also joining EF, like Archie Ryan and [Darren] Rafferty, so there’s a good group of us out here now.”

Timothy John

“Ben’s success must be pretty inspiring.” 

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, it’s pretty amazing watching him at the races do what he does.”

Timothy John 

“Well, you’re no stranger to elite sport. Your dad was an Olympic marathon runner, who ran at two Games.

“How was it growing up in a household where elite sport was the norm?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“I’ve always been exposed to sport. It’s always been something that my whole family has done. It’s never been forced upon us. Both me and my sister have always done lots of sport: swimming, running, cycling, gymnastics, all of that. 

“It’s always been part of my life. It was only when I moved back to the UK that I started getting more serious about cycling, joining my local club and doing some racing. 

“It was around that time that I decided to focus more on cycling than doing running and other sports, as well.”

INTERLUDE

Part Two: Park Life 

Timothy John 

“And you moved back to the UK from Ethiopia; from Addis Ababa.”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, exactly. I spent the first seven years of my life there.”

Timothy John 

“And how quickly did you find the bike, or find a competitive outlet for cycling in the UK? You grew up, I understand, at Preston Park.”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, Preston Park. It was really great there, we had…It helped me massively. We had five other guys, all my age, who I used to spend loads and loads of time with. We went to all the races together. Parents would share lifts to make it more bearable for them. It meant that cycling wasn’t so much….there wasn’t any pressure involved. It was just hanging out with your fiends at the weekend and during the week as well. That helped my development a lot and made it something fun, rather than anything too serious.”

Timothy John 

“Was it mainly a track-based programme, Lukas? Or were you on the road from an early stage as well?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Doing both, really, especially with GB, the track is pretty heavily promoted so I was doing quite a bit of that, but on the road is really what I enjoyed the most. 

“Even in U12, we had road nationals. They’ve stopped now, but I remember doing some national series around Scarborough and stuff like that, and then U14 and U16, I just carried on

doing it.

“I didn’t have much success. At that age, it’s just about how you develop as much as anything. I wasn’t particularly good then, but it helped having those friends there. It didn’t matter too much what results you were getting, You were just having fun.”

INTERLUDE

Part Three: Paternal Influence 

Timothy John

“And how about when it did start to click, when you started to get results: at that stage, did your father’s background as an elite athlete come in useful? Or, given the very different nature of the disciplines, was it of not much value?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“It all started to come a bit more together as as junior. It’s hard to say how much my dad’s background has helped me. I think it’s probably helped me a bit, more in terms of his way of approaching things. 

“I can even see that now. Even though he’s not competing, he still carries that same mindset in what he does now. That’s helped me. I’ve always enjoyed the process of training, which I

think helps a lot. 

“It’s different in cycling. You have a lot more race days, whereas when my dad was competing in marathons, you do two marathons a year and a handful of small road races leading up to it, whereas in cycling, you’re racing quite a bit from February to October. 

“It’s a different outlook on it, but I think enjoying the process and enjoying the training behind it is really important part of both sports.”

Timothy John

“And cycling, I guess, is a lot more data-driven.”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, for sure. I think running is slowly catching up. Some thing I’ve seen, especially with the Norwegians doing their lactate collection and stuff like this. But, yeah, cycling is a fair bit

further ahead with all of the data collection, with power, with lactate as well and all of it.”

Timothy John

“You ran competitively as well, I think, in the UK, while you were at school.”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah. I ran with the cross-country team and the track team. That was more off my cycling fitness. I never did too much running training. I just really enjoyed it. It’s pretty fun to run. 

“When I was, maybe from the ages of 12 to 15, 16, I could get away with not doing much running and just using my cycling fitness. That’s when I was doing the best, but when I got a bit

older, it’s harder to compete who the top runners when you’re only doing cycling. That’s when I stopped competing in the running.”

Timothy John

“And did those two pathways intersect? Did your running results diminish as you were spending more time on the bike ?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, slightly. At one point, I was more successful in running than in cycling, purely in terms of results. In U14, I didn’t top-10 in many races at all, but I could still win a cross-country or something. 

“But then in U16, especially the second year, I’d developed a bit by that point so I was getting a bit more success then, and that’s when I stopped running as well because…both results

and enjoyment as well. I was just loving spending time on the bike.”

Timothy John

“And what is about time on the bike? Is it the freedom? Is it the distance? What really appeals to you about that?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, I think it’s something about the distance, the speed. Obviously, you can go a lot further on a bike than you can running. And it’s also the fact that there are lot of different elements to riding, and especially racing. 

“Running, comparatively, is a fairly simple sport, with tactics, with tech, with everything like this. Cycling, there’s so much to invest in and focus upon, which appeals to me.”

Timothy John

“I spoke last year to Oscar Onley who was also a runner before he became a cyclist and just fell in love with the bike and the freedom aspect and found that when he should have been training for running, he was naturally out on the bike, just out of preference. 

“Was it a similar story for you, or a different process?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, probably pretty similar. I never got to the stage where there was pressure or expectation for me to train running. I did a few training sessions at school, and when I was a lot younger, like 12, 13, I would sometimes go down to the local track to run with my sister. It’s never been something I’ve really enjoyed. 

“It also slightly came down to the fact that I had lots of friend cycling. We had a group of five of us, and I just didn’t find that when I was running, and that played an factor as well.”

INTERLUDE

Part Four: London Calling

Timothy John 

“Tell me about VCL, because there’s a lot of talented riders coming out of that club at the moment: the Hayter brothers, Fred Wright, Tom Gloag.

“Did you cross paths with those riders? How did you become connected to the club?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, so when I was coming out of U16 and going into juniors, that’s when I was sort of deciding what club to join next.

“Even though I’m not from London, I had raced guys from VCL all the time and made some good friends there, so I had a quite a few friends in London my age. I went on quite a few club runs up there on the Saturday and just loved it. 

“I joined VCL. I missed the Hayters and Fred Wright, but when I first started going on the club run, there were still a lot of guys - Jacob Vaughan, Tom Gloag, Isaac Mundy - for me to

ride with and lean from. 

“So I did two winters of doing….I’d get the train up in the morning, do the club run and get the train home or stay at a friends; either one.”

Timothy John 

“And what is the vibe inside the club at the moment? Is there a conscious awareness that they are routinely producing world-class riders or is it still a very relaxed atmosphere?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, I think it’s still a very relaxed atmosphere. I’m maybe not the most qualified person to speak on it. I’m not massively involved in the club anymore, but just from what I can see and what I’ve heard when I’ve spoken to the guys, you can still go along. It’s still the same relaxed atmosphere, but still producing lots of strong, young riders.”

Timothy John 

“We spoke earlier before we began the recording about the success that you enjoyed as a junior on the British scene: fourth overall, I think, at the Junior Tour of Wales; won a stage, I think, at the junior Tour of Yorkshire. 

“How instrumental was the club in helping you to achieve those results? Or was it simply a vehicle, in the most literal sense, to travel to races?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“No, no. It was really important. More that I was just spending lots of time with guys who had done loads of races who were a couple of years older than me. 

“Training with them gave me the confidence, even before I’d raced in the junior races, that I could compete with the best in those races. 

“Also the team had a really good connection with a Spanish team: Fundacion Lingshu. I spent the summer of 2020 out in Spain, where here in the UK, there was no racing going on because of Covid. 

“In Spain, I was able to do quite a few race days in the Basque with this team, and that’s when I started reforming. That style of racing, I really enjoy. It’s pretty different to the UK stuff,

especially the UK stuff I’d done before in U16. 

“That was a first real stepping stone, I guess.”

Timothy John 

“And for a rider of your characteristics, Lukas, was that a sliding doors moment: you found yourself racing over mountains in the Basque Country and suddenly things made sense? Was it that crystallised?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, I think that was part of it. The terrain suited me a lot better, because I’d come from….The previous year in U16 races, the majority of it is on circuits, which is good to learn racing on but it’s a very, very different style of racing to racing on bigger  climbs in the Basque….

“When I was racing that, that’s what I really enjoyed. It’s a really strong, strong field out in the Basque, probably similar to the UK actually, but a different style of racing that suits me

more, so I could get more results there than I could in the UK.”

Timothy John 

“I spoke last year to Harrison Wood, who was on a junior team called HMT, which, sadly, is no longer with us, but pretty much his third ever race was the junior Tour of the Basque Country! 

“He had a sort of lightbulb moment: that racing on Spanish roads, in that European style, was exactly what he should be doing. I guess you had a similar experience.”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah. Exactly. It was the same. I don’t think I’d won a race, especially in U16 or U14 before that. And then when I was racing in the Basque, I ended getting a few podiums and ended up with a win as well. 

“That was a first for me, and that’s when I knew to take it a bit more seriously, get a coach and….I mean. I was still doing all my schoolwork and stuff, but that’s when I knew to focus on

cycling.”

Timothy John

“Were you also aware of the quality of the fields back in the UK scene? If you look at the top 10 in that 2021 junior Tour of Wales, there are some really high-quality riders, some of whom are already racing at WorldTour level. 

“Were you conscious that this was a sort of golden generation, or were you simply kids racing against each other?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, I think we were just kids racing against each other, You can kind of see from the last few age groups, maybe three or four guys, would go WorldTour and there are some really strong years, so in the back of your head you have that but mostly it’s racing and trying to win them.”

INTERLUDE

Part Six: Pro Life

Timothy John 

“Did you consciously consider a professional career? At what stage did that seem possible?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, I didn’t really think about it turning into a profession probably until the guys who were a couple of years older than me started getting contracts. 

“When I was a junior, the aim was to get onto a team like Trinity, and, beyond that, I didn’t really know. I just knew that I wanted to get onto a team like that. 

“Once I was on Trinity, then I could see the guys who were a couple of years older than me getting contracts, and that’s when I started to think that’s something I would really like to aim for. 

“There was a time when I joined Trinity, that was always when the decision was made whether to go to uni or not. A few  older guys had just signed, and that’s when I decided not to pursue uni and do cycling instead.”

Timothy John 

“Was that a big decision, or was it a no-brainer?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“To be honest, quite a big decision. I really enjoyed school; especially A-levels. It was probably a blessing in disguise that I didn’t get into Oxford, otherwise it would have made it a really hard decision, but I didn’t get into Oxford and thought, ‘If I’m not good enough to go there, then I’ll try my best at cycling instead.’” 

Timothy John 

“What were your subjects? What did you study at A-level?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Physics, maths, further maths and biology.”

Timothy John 

“Yikes! So you’re kind of hardwired to data?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah. I love…Biology was the weakest of them all, or I guess the least data-driven and the least logic-based, whereas further maths and physics were my favourite subjects and those are really logical; not too much recall in them. You either get it or you don’t get it, which I really like.”

Timothy John 

“You have no problem navigating Training Peaks?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“No, no. I quite enjoy it.”

Timothy John

“Tell me how important Trinity Racing has been for you. It’s a little more than a team, isn’t it. It’s almost a lifestyle.”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah. It’s been huge in my development. When I joined Trinity Racing, I was…Well, I didn’t really know anything about bike racing, I would say. 

“I’d been strong as a junior, but I didn’t know anything involved in being a bike racer; just being full-time and things like this. That was probably the biggest learning experience; not just

on-the-bike but off-the-bike. 

“That’s where having guys around me who knew more what they were doing helped a lot. And, of course, we had great DSs last year; we had [Ian] Standard this year. We/ve got Pete [Kennaugh] and Jon [Mould] so having those guys who had done it and know what it’s about is huge.”

Timothy John

“And how about everything that goes with it? You’re in Girona now. Are you, effectively, leading the life of a professional cyclist already?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, exactly. Since I finished A-levels, that would have been last year, I’ve been full-time cycling. That’s been a big change. My day’s gone from being really busy to the opposite, most of the time. You’ve got trains, but, apart from that, you haven’t got much else to do. 

“But, yeah, apart from that, it hasn’t been too hard to adjust. I’ve got lots of other things to keep me occupied.”

Timothy John 

“Did you consider other pathways?

“It’s funny, 20 or 30 years ago, you could count on the fingers of one hand the number of British riders who had turned professional and were racing in Europe. 

“Then there was the Lottery-funded revolution at British Cycling and the Olympic Academy that produced Geraint Thomas Mark Cavendish and countless others. 

“And now the number of pathways had completely proliferated I guess the Rayner Foundation might have been an option for you, the Academy might have been option for you, a

WorldTour development team might have been an option. 

“I mean, correct me if I’ve got this wrong, but  was it Trinity or bust, or were there other options on the table?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“There were a couple of other options, but I never was involved with the GB system at all; even U16 and junior. I was never on any of that. I never did well on the track and even on the road, until junior, I didn’t do particularly well. 

“And, year, there were a few other teams. I never really considered staying in the UK. You can see from the riders turning WorldTour that it’s a lot harder turning WorldTour if you stay in the UK than if you…not necessarily move abroad, but go to a team that is abroad. 

“Trinity and different WorldTour devo teams: yeah, it was a bit of a decision, but at the end of the day, Trinity had …yo get all the freedom and all the expertise of WorldTour teams; or a lot of it, at least, with Pete an Jon and Stannard and guys like that, but you do get the freedom. 

“The fact that it was English-speaking has been really nice. We’re all the same age. We all get on really well. At races, I’d say we have some of the best morale going so that helps a

lot.”

Timothy John

“Have you picked up any Spanish during your time in Girona?” - 29.52

Lukas Nerurkar

“Not much. Enough to order a coffee or get into the supermarket but, yeah, I probably need to start doing some sessions.”

Timothy John

“You have the essentials.”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, yeah. Exactly. Just about.”

Part Seven: Domestic Issues

Timothy John 

“You mentioned that it seems harder to become a WorldTour rider from the UK, and I don’t think many people would disagree with that. Why do you think that is?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, I think recently the racing in the UK have lost some of its prestige. The British teams, naturally, race a lot of British races, but if the races don’t hold the same amount of prestige and respect as other races then the WorldTour teams or Pro Conti teams aren’t really going to have a look-in and see.

“You could win every round of the National Series, but it means basically nothing to the WorldTour teams, but if you go abroad and win one stage of l’Avenir or a stage of the Baby Giro

or something like that and immediately you’re getting looked at by WorldTour teams.”

Timothy John

“How does the racing compare? You were at the Beaumont Trophy. Is it comparable to the racing on the Continent?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“It’s very different. The Beaumont Trophy, I think, is the first national I’ve done. I was pretty excited to see what it was about. For sure, it was really different, actually. 

“From previous rounds, what I’d seen was happening is that the race is decided really early on. That was what me and Max [Walker] tried to do. Didn’t really work out in the end.

“But there’s not the strength and the depth in the teams to control races in the same way as in Europe, whereas Saint Piran have all the strongest riders really so if they get five guys up the road, it’s a done deal. The teams behind don’t have the strength-in-depth or the coordination to get a chase together. 

“Whereas in Europe…At the highest level, at WorldTour level, it’s really apparent that there are barely any breakaways that stay away from the gun, but even at U23 level there is enough control within the teams that it’s raced in a more controlled manner. 

“There’s still a fair amount of chaos, what with it being U23. Normally, the team sizes are a bit smaller, so the races are quite a bit more open, but it’s nowhere near what it is in the UK.”

Timothy John

“You must be one of the only riders ever Lukas, I would imagine, to have ridden the Tour of Britain before riding a round of the National Road Series!”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah. That was a good experience last year. You can sort of see why the UK races are raced in the same way because just the roads and stuff do reward that aggressive style of racing and it’s pretty hard to get a chase together on those British roads, whereas a lot of roads on the Continent aren’t as wearing down, aren’t as twisting and technical. I guess that does play a role. 

“But by far the biggest thing is the strength-in-depth of the teams and coordination.”

Timothy John 

“I’m trying to think of the right way to phrase this: does it sadden you in a way that you couldn’t develop to a professional standard in your own country? Or is that simply not part of the thought process? You want to become a professional cyclist, and you’ll go wherever you need to achieve that goal.”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah. I think, for me, it’s become normalised. Everyone else had gone to the Continent, so I went to the Continent, and I really don’t mind i. I don’t mind living away from home.

“But, in some ways, it’s a shame because the number of riders, British WorldTour riders there are, is so high considering the lack of UK racing. 

“All the other countries who have the mos WorldTour pros, like France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, they’ve all got a thriving domestic scene, whereas the UK is lacking.”

Timothy John

“It’s strange, isn’t it? It’s difficult to account for. There’s a seemingly endless stream of world-class talent: you, Jack - one of the few, I think, who will have come up directly from the domestic scene - but the vast majority these days - Oscar Onley, Sam Watson - a lot of riders with DSM, FDJ or whatever it might be - are coming up through WorldTour devo teams or squads like Trinity Racing. 

“Just to expand on the style of U23 racing: how close it that to the WorldTour?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Well, I haven’t done any WorldTour races, but from the races I have done with stronger fields, like Camino and the Czech Tour, it’s quite different, especially being at Trinity Racing.

“Trinity is one of the most respected teams at U23 level, and it’s down to us and a few other teams to control the race, whereas when we do go to the pro level races, it’s sort of the

opposite. We’re not expected to control the race, and it’s just up to us to get the stage results, which we’ve been pretty good at doing with Luke, especially in the sprints.

“We’ve got quite a good lead out for an U23 team, and on the mountain days, we’re pretty well coordinated, and it think that’s another thing that’s been helped massively by having the DS-es that we do, They know how pro racing works inside out. They can be telling us on the radio and before and after the race what to expect and how we should race it.”

INTERLUDE

Part Eight: Results Business

Timothy John 

“And how much of a boost is it to your confidence to get a result at a race like Gran Camino? You stood on the podium with Jonas Vingegaard: you in your white jersey and him in the leader’s jersey. What does that do for your self-belief?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, it was pretty huge. It was my first time since turning U23 that I’d got any sort of result. Last year, I’d basically done nothing, so going into Camino, I knew the shape was good, but to get some results really helped; not just for that race but then going into races later on. It just gives me the confidence to go for the win. 

“I got a knee injury at the end of March and missed quite a bit of facing, but even when I did come back it was straight back to normal; straight back to trying to fight for the win.”

Timothy John

“And you had a very big win at the Baby Giro. Tell us about that.” 

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, that was really, really nice. The previous day has been pretty disappointing. That day, I wasn’t expecting that much. As bike racing goes, we just do the same process. I got into a move about 40km out and played it well until the finish and managed to win the sprint. It was really, really nice. A really nice comeback. We got the win on on second a with Luke and then to win again with me was really special.”

Timothy John

“I think the disappointing day that you’d suffered was on the Stelvio [Pass].”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah.”

Timothy John

“Not a bad arena, or perhaps a terrible arena if you’re not feeling good!”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, yeah! I was feeling every ‘k’ on that climb but that happens when you’re on the bike. All part of the process.”

Timothy John 

“What did you learn about yourself that day,  or, perhaps, what did you learn about yourself the following day when you discovered that you could immediately bounce back and win?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Both days were huge learning opportunities. I did a few things wrong on the Stelvio, on the day, but also, I think, discovering what type of rider I am,  still don’t know. 

“That was one day when I didn’t do so well, but the following day, in the breakaway….as a junior, I’d won from the break, but as an U23, I’d never really gone for a breakaway. Learning

how to do that and pulling it off was also really good learning.”

Timothy John

“In terms of the type of rider that you might become: at the moment, I think, you’re a climber but also a puncher: you can get the job done from a reduced group in a sprint. 

“Is that accurate? Is that how you see yourself developing at the moment?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, I think that’s exactly right. Again, in the next few years, that could all change again but just from the racing I’ve done this year, that’s what I feel I could do. 

“I feel that in a punch or in the small sprints, I’m pretty competitive. I’ll just see next year.”

Timothy John

“And in terms of general classification? Is that more of a mental thing than a physical thing? Is it both?’

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, I think it’s both. From the races, I’ve done - I haven’t done many - every day counts. Every day, you have to be focused, and that side of it I do really enjoy. It gives every day a purpose. 

“Even if I’m not riding for GC, I enjoy doing stuff that doesn’t really suit me. On the sprint days, I enjoy going for a lead out and things like this. 

“But the GC, I think it is about, on your bad days trying not to lose you head and get the best result regardless and capitalise on your good days.”

Timothy John

“And does that appeal to your logical, analytical side?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah. Some sides of being a GC rider…I guess it is one of the most logical disciplines in the sport. I mean, you do see guys riding off emotion at the very top, but the guys who are getting top 10s in the Tour, that’s a very logical process: gauging your efforts. 

“The guys who are getting between fifth and tenth at the Tour, you know you can’t follow the top guys, and it’s just about doing your effort, best as you can, day after day.”

Timothy John

“It was interesting to see Tom Pidcock struggle with that, wasn’t it? A rider with such flair, with such panache, but he made it pretty plain in a few post-stage interviews that being a GC leader might not be for him.”

Lukas Nerurkar

“I don’t blame him. GC - especially GC leader at the Tour - is probably one of the hardest things to do in pro cycling. I think there are very, very few people who can manage it.”

Timothy John

“Exactly. And carry that pressure. But, equally, as you say, those who can adopt that logical approach. 

“It’s interesting: with that ever more youthful trend, and you, of course, are 19 going on 20, we’re seeing riders like Juan Ayuso and Cian Uijtdebroeks - very young guys - finishing top-

10 at the end of the Vuelta.”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah. Remarkable.”

Timothy John

“Is that inspiring?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, it’s inspiring; slightly daunting, sometimes. But, yeah, I think, you have to see. Everyone is doing their own thing. Everyone has different rates of development. You have to realise that guys will get to the top at different ages, so I’m not too stressed.”

INTERLUDE

Outro

Timothy John 

“I think your next race is the U23 Lombardia.”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, yeah. That’s this Sunday. I’m really looking forward to it. I’m really interested to do that. I missed the Ardennes races at the start of the season because of the knee. I mean, this isn’t quite Ardennes, but it’s a similar…well, I’m guessing it will be similar mix of riders in those front few groups and a similar style of racing. I’m looking forward to it.”

Timothy John

“And then, finally, when will you hook up with EF? Is there an end-of-season training camp booked?”

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah, I haven’t actually heard the details about that, but I think some time before Christmas.”

Timothy John

“Great. Well, Lukas, thank-you very much indeed for joining us today. We covered a whole lot of ground there. Very best of luck in the future.” 

Lukas Nerurkar

“Yeah. Thank you very much.”

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