Interview: Josephine Tomic

Interview with 20 year old track specialist Josephine Tomic (Australia). She is a World Champion (Omnium), multiple Australian champion and multiple champion of Oceania on the track.

Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Josephine Tomic and I am a road and track rider from Australia.

Why did you choose cycling as your sport?
I used to do triathlons but I loved the cycling aspect of it the most and decided after a few good results in cycling races that I would focus purely on cycling.

What kind of rider is Josephine Tomic?
I like to think of myself as a pursuiter on the track. That is where my main objectives lie leading up to the next Olympics. However, I also enjoy road racing and time trials on the road.

Which hobbies do you have next to cycling?
I enjoy spending time with friends and family and having a good time.

In action during the criterium of Schaijk
Photo © 2009 Bart Hazen

How do you look back on the first half of the 2009 season? both for track and road.
2009 so far has been an unbelievable season for me. I started off on the road winning a Australian title in the time trial, then won three Australian titles on the track. Then I went to the world championships and won my first senior world title in the omnium and a bronze medal in the teams pursuit. I did not expect these results at my first world championships so it was a very pleasant surprise.

What performance/achievement you are the most proud of?
I am most proud of my 3 junior world titles and junior world record in the individual pursuit and also of my senior world title in the omnium.

You are both successful on the track and the road. For the future you are going to combine both disciplines? Or is the focus more on the road as more track riders of Australia did in the past?
Until the 2012 Olympics I am going to focus mainly on the track, however, I am still hoping to sign with a professional team before then and race on the road each year after the track world championships.

It's your first year in the AIS's new Women's Track Endurance program. What are your expectations of the program?
This is actually the first year of the whole program. It is a great opportunity for the elite women track riders in Australia and one that has never really existed before. We have a great new coach in Gary Sutton and I look forward to working with him to achieve my goals.

Josephine Tomic
Photo © 2009 Bart Hazen

Your coach is the reigning coach of the year in Australia, Darryl Benson. What makes his training methods different than other trainers?
Darryl is a fantastic coach. He is very open to listening to his athletes and adapting their training program so that they enjoy every session. Darryl and I are great friends and get along very well, which definitely helps make our coach/athlete relationship even better, because he knows me very well and can change my training just by looking at me and seeing whether I am fatigued, sick etc.

You had five podium spots of which three wins in races in the Netherlands the past month. Next to that the AIS team did very well. Did you expected that you and team was going to do so well?
I did not expect to win three races and come second in two. I came to the Netherlands last year with Team Flexpoint and my best result was a third place, but most of the time I was finding it hard to finish in the bunch. However, this year, I have come over much stronger and more confident in the bunch and I am really happy to have achieved the results I have. The team have also been performing great. They are a very strong bunch of girls and they have been getting better with every race.

In the end of July the team will head back to Australia. What's the schedule for the rest of the season?
We will all head back to our home towns for two months and then in October we have our first training camp leading into the Manchester track world cup. I will then be competing in the Melbourne world cup, the Australian track and road championships and then hopefully the world championships and commonwealth games.

What do you prefer the most in racing?
I prefer individual pursuits and road time trials, where it is just the rider against the clock and the strongest rider wins.

In action during the criterium of Schaijk
Photo © 2009 Bart Hazen

Which race(s) in Europe you want to ride if given the opportunity?
I hope to ride the classics and one day win some of them.

What race has been a favorite of yours?
My favorite race is the world championships!!!

Who has inspired you, or currently inspires you to race. (Or in the present)?
Sarah Ulmer, Marianne Vos and Lance Armstrong.

What are your goals for the second part of the 2009 season? and if you don't mind…. long term career goals as a person and cyclist?
My goals are just to gain selection for the world championships and commonwealth games next year and to defend my world title there and medal at the commonwealth games. My biggest dream is to become Olympic champion!!

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