Friday, March 29, 2024

Jordan Kerby – the new World Pursuit Champion; “It’s pretty surreal”

-

HomeInterviewsJordan Kerby - the new World Pursuit Champion; "It's pretty surreal"
Jordan Kerby
Jordan Kerby.

VeloVeritas first spoke to 24 year-old Aussie Jordan Kerby three years ago; he was 2010 world junior points and team pursuit champion but then turned to the road.

Success came quickly and he won the 2013 Australian U23 Road Race Championship.

There followed a forgettable spell with Michael Rasmussen’s ill fated Christina Watches team before he moved back to Australia, winning the 2014 Australian U23 Time Trial Championship.

Whilst he achieved some promising results over the next seasons in the service of the Australian Drapac Pro Continental squad it’s fair to say that he never quite reached the levels he’d promised.

Drapac didn’t retain him for the merger with Cannondale so after some hard thinking, Kerby decided to go back to his first love – the velodrome, for 2017.

The result of his switch could hardly have met with more success – Australian and World Pursuit Champion.

We caught up with him shortly after his Worlds success where he rode the third fastest time ever in qualifying then beat reigning world champion Filippo Ganna of Italy in the final.

The man who we were keeping an eye on, Corentin Ermenault – the European individual and team pursuit champion – finished in fourth spot.

Ermenault has the best of genes; his dad was ex-pro and pursuit world champion, Philippe Ermenault.

Ermenault junior was on the podium in the 2016 U23 Ronde and rides in the colours of Wiggins this year.

But getting back to Mr. Kerby, we caught up with him shortly after his Hong Kong triumph.

Jordan Kerby
Jordan knows he’s the World Champion. Photo©AP

How does it feel to be champion of the world, Jordan?

“It’s pretty surreal, it hasn’t quite sunk in yet.

“But I’m sure that it will do over time.”

You rode the New Zealand Cycle Classic at the start of the year – how long did it take you to find your ‘track legs’ again?

“I started back on the track late October, at New Zealand I was pretty deep into a track block up in Brisbane just prior.

“I’d say if probably took five or six weeks to start feeling good on the track.”

You won your Nationals – that must have been a nice boost for the morale – what times did you do?

“My times at Nationals – 4:15.2 and 4:16.2 respectively – those were definitely a confidence booster.”

Did your National win qualify you for the Worlds?

“They didn’t necessarily qualify me.

“But Cycling Australia were willing to give me the opportunity to race at the worlds.

“I’m very grateful for that.”

You rode the third fastest pursuit ever in qualifying in Hong Kong – is the world record possible for you?

“I think it’s possible to break the world record – 1.5 sec is a lot of time to make up though.”

What do you think of the ‘two rides only’ Worlds format?

“For the individual pursuit two rides only is fine by me – eight kilometres at that pace is more than enough.”

How do you rate the Hong Kong track and organisation?

“Smooth and efficient, everything closely located.”

Can you tell us what gear ratio you rode – or is that top secret?

“A pretty small one compared to some of the other guys.”

[That’s a ‘yes it’s secret’ then ! ed.]

Jordan Kerby
Jordan survived the unsettling effect of the false start. Photo©GettyImages

Yell us about that ‘false start’ in the final.

“It was a bit of a shock, I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on.

“But as an athlete you have to be prepared to remain focussed and not let those things rattle you.”

No team pursuit for you, though?

“No, the team pursuit is becoming so specific.

“The boys were training together for a long time to get that world title.

“You can’t just show up with individual pursuit form and fit smoothly into a team pursuit, they require different physiologies.

“For me to ride the event I would’ve had to have been training with them for months beforehand.”

Who coaches you – what’s the ethos?

“I work with Nic Formosa, and my training can be quite simple sometimes.

“We work really hard – but smart and specific as well.”

Did you think you’d done enough to be retained by Drapac – did they give you plenty of notice? 

“Yes, I had more than enough notice and I didn’t have the season that would warrant a contract renewal.”

What’s the plan now?

“I haven’t decided just yet – I’m going to unwind from the Worlds first.”

Jordan Kerby
It’s not Jordan’s first rainbow jersey, and we don’t think it’ll be his last. Photo©Anthony Wallace/Getty

The Gold Coast 2018 must be in your mind?

Yes, I would love to throw my hand up for the Commonwealth Games on my home track.”

And Tokyo 2020?

“Sure, that would be a dream. Let’s see what the next 12 months brings first.”

With thanks to Jordan for his time – VeloVeritas wishes him well for season 2017.

Ed Hood
Ed Hood
Ed's been involved in cycling for over 50 years. In that time he's been a successful time triallist, a team manager and a sponsor of several teams and clubs. He's also a respected and successful coach and during the winter months was often working in the cabins at the Six Days for some of the world's top riders. Ed remains a massive fan of the sport and couples his extensive contacts with an inexhaustible enthusiasm for the minutiae and the history of our sport. In February 2023 however, our dear friend and beloved colleague Ed suffered a devastating stroke and faces an uncertain future; Ed has lost his ability to speak, to read, and has lost movement on the right side of his body. He's working with speech and physical therapists on rehabilitation, but all strokes are different and each patient responds differently, so unfortunately recovery is one day at a time. Ed ran his own business installing windows, and will probably not be able to work again. Please consider joining us to make a contribution to Ed's GoFundMe page to help stabilise and secure his future.

Related Articles

Ethan Hayter – World Team Pursuit Champion at 19

In 2016 in Belgium Ethan Hayter won the tough junior races, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, GP Serge Baguet, De Klijte-Heuvaelland, was in the winning team in junior European team pursuit champs and was British Madison champion with Joe Holt. Last year he won the u23 Berlin Six Day with Matt Walls, took a medal in every British track championship he rode and was part of the winning u23 Europeans team pursuit squad. This season he began training with the senior team in January and was world champion within weeks, at 19 years-of-age.

Chris Wreghitt – British Cyclo-Cross Star of the ’80’s and Successful Businessman

The current state of British cyclo-cross is perhaps similar to how the road scene was before the days of Peter Keen, lottery money, 'the Plan,' David Brailsford and Sky came along. No real development system, just the odd talented individual who forces their way through but the rider who perhaps aroused the most excitement was a tall young man called Chris Wreghitt.

Pierrot de Wit – Bradley Wiggins’ and Eddy Merckx’s Soigneur

If you look at those sharp black and white cycling pictures from the 70’s and 80’s on social media, beside or behind the featured star rider there’s often an uncredited figure – as likely as not that’ll be the rider’s soigneur. And in the case of some of the biggest stars of the eras from Eddy Merckx to Bradley Wiggins that soigneur is liable to be the gentleman we’re about to present to you; Mr. Pierrot de Wit from Brussels.

Dirk Van Hove – Gent’s ‘Honorary Aussie’ and the man behind the ‘Aussie Cup’

He’s more Australian than most folks from ‘Down Under’ - despite the fact that he’s from Gent in the heart of Flanders. He’s currently writing a history of Australian cycling, he’s the Drapac team’s European Co-ordinator, he’s a photographer at the Gent Six Day, and he’s VeloVeritas' biggest asset and chauffeur at Het Nieuwsblad. He’s Dirk Van Hove.

At Random

Le Tour de France 2012 – Stage 13: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux – Le Cap d’Agde, 215 km.

Le Cap d’Agde and we're puzzled. We've steadfastly avoided getting involved in speculation over the ‘d-word’ – if you regard yourself as a serious journo, you have to be able to distinguish between factual information from a good source and wild speculation on twitter from individuals who may well have never seen the race, let alone spoken to anyone on it. Maybe it's because we've been on le Tour during the Ulrich, Basso, Mancebo, Bottero, Landis, Morreni, Rasmussen, Contador - and if we forgotten any, sorry - 'affairs.'

Le Tour de France 2015 – Stage 8; Getting Close to the Race at the Buses

I am staying at my in-laws in Brittany, as I do every summer since I got married and every two or three years it is my base for watching the Tour on the ground. This year things couldn’t be better, with a stage start about 40 minutes east in the city of Rennes and the finish accessible about an hour to the west. I have enjoyed looking at the team cars, buses at the start in previous years so my plan is to find the ‘paddock’ and see how close I can get. With journalists, soigneurs and directeur sportifs all around, the fan can feel part of the event.

Le Tour de France 2010, Second Rest Day

'How's it goin' Shane?' we ask Skyman Shane Sutton as we cross the car park in search of Michael Barry for a rest day interview at the Le Tour de France 2010. 'Been better, mate!' he fires back between hard draws on his fag - it's difficult for a man who wears his heart on his sleeve to 'spin.'

Mark Robertson – the Scottish Road Race Champion for 2017

If you’re like us, you thought the Scottish Road Race Championships at Kennoway in Fife over much of the old Dave Campbell Memorial Race parcours would be pretty much a formality for ‘10’ and ‘25’ mile time trial Champion, John Archibald (Pro Vision). The best view from the podium went to Mark Robertson (Army CC); the man who’s based in the north east of England beat Fraser Martin (Raleigh) into silver and aforementioned John Archibald into bronze. Best ‘have a word’ with Mr. Robertson we decided...