athlete profile: Shaun Adamson

Shaun on the podium at Preston St.Shaun Adamson is a new transplant to Ottawa who races for the Scott Racing Team and has posted some impressive results in the short time that he has been here. We wanted to get to know Shaun a little bit better so we hit him up with a few questions.

Question: Shaun, you've been having a good couple of weeks recently with two podiums at the Gatineau Criterium and then at Preston in the Senior 1-2 races. Can you tell us a bit about what went down at each race? 

A: Personally, I went into both races without a lot of expectations.  The team wanted to be present in all the moves, especially in Gatineau with really only us and Spidertech there for teams.  It was attack after attack after attack, I really just made the right move, getting in with Osmond, Eric, and Charly.  The Spidertech guys really worked us over and it was a lot of Os and I chasing one or the other and then getting attacked.  In the end, I was on Osmond's wheel when he started to sprint and I was able to come around, but just couldn't close the gap to Eric and Charly.

Scott team in action at the Gatineau CriteriumPreston St. had a much bigger field and it was really fast, making it hard to stay at the front.  I would make an effort to move up and then move to the back just as fast.  At one point, with 6 or 7 minutes left, there was a good spot to move to the front and I just kept going and ended up off the front with 3 other guys.  I didn't know any of them, but just kept rolling.  Another guy bridged up that I didn't know and we just kept going, keeping the gap steady.  I got a little anxious on the last lap and was too close to the front.  I came out of the last corner in second wheel and came around him and thought I could make it to the line, but Maxime got around me in the end.  

Both results are really good for the team and for me, but it really makes me want that opportunity again and to do it right!  

Question: How did your earlier athletic career help get you where you are now?

A: It's been slow and steady.  I played club and school volleyball for a long time, speed skated for a couple winters, but I always liked biking.  As a family we always went camping, hiking, and biking.  From there it just grew with my friends getting into it as well, but I think I was one of the only ones who really stuck with it.  

I remember when I was a jr and the Alberta Provincial Team Coach at the time, Andy Holmwood, told me that I didn't have the talent of some of the guys (who included Ryan Anderson), but that I did the little things right and worked hard.  So it's been a really slow, but steady progression for me.

Shaun on the podium at the Gatineau CriteriumQuestion: Any big goals for the rest of the year?

A: It's sort of ambiguous, but I really just want to keep learning as much as I possibly can.  Racing in Ottawa and Quebec is completely different (for the better!) than Alberta and other races I've been used to, so I have already learned a ton.  I want to do everything I can to help the team at Quebec-Montreal and Green Mountain Stage Race.  Then cyclocross!

Question: The Scott Racing team is looks like they work really well in the races, and are getting right in there and animating the races. Can you tell us a bit about the team?

A: It really just came together.  Marc Boudreau told me about the possibility of the opportunity at Cyclocross Nationals last year in Edmonton.  Everything fell into place in December and the rest was just details.  I think it's amazing how well we've all gelled.  We are trying to be aggressive and to show off the colours at every opportunity.  We all want to show that we can ride at the front and be smart racers, and I think we're all trying to move to the next level in racing.  We have great support and it makes it easier to perform and is really motivating. 

Question: You are a recent arrival to Ottawa, right? What brought you here? In your opinion what makes Ottawa such a great place to live, ride and race bikes?

A: Yeah, I arrived on May 4th, after I finished my Phys Ed degree at the UofA.  I'm really only here because of the Scott Racing team.  Being done school, I was free (with the support of my wonderful parents) to see where I can go with racing.  I knew that l needed to leave my bubble in Alberta and do some bigger, better races and see what opportunities present themselves from there.  

The best thing about Ottawa is the cycling community.  The last OBC ITT I did had 108 riders!!  That's unheard of in Alberta.  The depth is amazing too, at the time trials and the NRC crits.  But it's really that everyone rides bikes.  Riding on the paths by the river, there are just tons of people riding bikes.  

Question: Is there anything else we should know about you?

A: I really like cooking, good coffee, wine, and beer; quality over quantity (most of the time).

I'm really thankful to have the opportunity to be here with the support of my parents, the team, Scott bikes, and The Cyclery.  You can also find out what I'm doing on the bike and what is going through my head at shaunadamson.com.