Simon van Velthooven’s most memorable sporting moment to date is sharing the podium with cycling great Sir Chris Hoy after winning bronze in the keirin at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Fast forward less than five years and the Kiwi cyclist is now a key member of the Emirates Team New Zealand sailing crew which is in Bermuda this week for the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers.
It would be a touch presumptuous, however, to talk about a total sporting reconversion as his role on the catamaran is “cyclist.” Indeed, the New Zealand challengers have taken the innovative decision to use cyclists instead of traditional grinders on their catamaran. The job of four of the crew members is to pedal on cycle stations to power the control systems for the wingsail and foils.
And that is where Simon van Velthooven comes in. After a successful track cycling career which, besides the Olympics, also saw him win medals at the UCI World Championships and Commonwealth Games, the 28-year-old was approached to join Emirates Team New Zealand. He was involved early on in testing the pedal-based grinding systems, and has also helped train the other cycling sailors.
“There was talk of getting other cyclists in but we already had perfectly good athletes on the boat and they have become impressive cyclists,” says van Velthooven, who likens the effort required on the boat to cycling uphill on a mountain bike.
“There is no free pedalling. You can’t sit up and have a break. If you stop pedalling the pump stops and the boat goes nowhere. There is pressure to keep pushing yourself and your team mates, whereas on the track you’re also worrying about the other competitors and what they will do.”
He has embraced life out on the water despite having no previous competitive sailing experience: “I knew boats floated but that’s about it,” he laughs. “But being around everyone I have learned what I need to know. I have my job on the boat and I do it well. It’s probably best if I don’t know too much. It’s been a pretty smooth transition. I’m still riding a bike; the only difference is I’m out on the water.”
The Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers started last weekend and run through this week, finishing with the playoffs to decide which boat will challenge the defending America’s Cup holders Oracle Team USA at the end of June.
Would winning the prestigious America’s Cup trophy be on a par with sharing the Olympic podium with Sir Chris Hoy? “Absolutely,” says van Velthooven without a second’s hesitation. “The America’s Cup is such an important trophy and it means so much to New Zealand. It’s more about winning for your country than for yourself.”
Although he will definitely not return to competitive cycling, he is undecided about his sporting future once the racing in Bermuda is over.
“For now, I am just doing all I can to help New Zealand win the America’s Cup.”