We Will Never Be Here Again: Adventures in Cycling from the Wilderness to the Tour de France by Svein Tuft and Richard Abraham
By Dave Campbell — I “met” Svein Tuft in 2001 on the start line of the time trial stage of the Tour Willamette at Dorena Reservoir outside of Cottage Grove, Oregon. I was working as MC for the event and giving each of the 150 elite men a send off on their TT. It was a cold overcast April day with rain threatening but Tuft rolled up to the start line in nothing but a skin suit. His determination and focus were palpable. His body was solid muscle, much more robust than the typical skinny cyclists and he seemed impervious to the elements and utterly focused on the task at hand. He impressed me as a hard, hard man and I followed his career (which would last through 2019) closely from then on.
It was only fitting that as I read his book, he noted this time trial stage, which he won, was his first significant result at the elite level. He would go on to earn a silver medal in the World Championships time trial, place seventh in the Olympic Games, and lead his team time trial squad to stage victories at both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France while taking the pink leader’s jersey at the former. But his path to such lofty world beating achievements was like the man himself-completely unique. Tuft’s life is about doing things his way on the road less travelled while celebrating the learning that comes through the often-extreme challenges and setbacks.
Born in British Columbia to a rugged and unconventional father who had immigrated from Norway on a government deal to work in forestry, Svein and his older brother Klint grew up with little and helped on job sites when their dad worked construction, water skiing, chopping wood, and being independent from an early age. They were always outside and never sat still. Both brothers competed in water ski jumping and missed months of school to travel to Florida to compete in the winter. The Tufts placed more emphasis on real life experience rather than school and Svein took this to heart, dropping out after the tenth grade to focus on exploration, adventure, and “figuring things out on his own”.
The challenges of the world’s biggest cycling events are well documented, but they honestly pale in comparison to the adventures that Tuft undertook in his youth. Voluntarily and joyously, he took on increasingly rigorous and often solo adventures, often in remote areas and in the dead of winter. He absolutely loves the wilds of British Columbia and all the beauty, adventure, and recreation it had to offer. It began with mountaineering, snowboarding, and train hopping but later progressed to extended winter camping and bike touring, including a 4000-mile trip from BC to the northernmost tip of Alaska hauling his large dog in a trailer. He worked odd jobs as necessary to earn just enough to finance the next trip on the most minimal level, but he loved it. His reflections on these “crazy trips” intricately detail his thought processes at the time and his love of learning and personal growth through exertion and solitude. He had almost nothing except freedom and determination.
His extended bicycle touring trips gave him a sense of self-belief and a love of pushing his physical and mental limits. Upon seeing some results from a World Championship Time Trial in a magazine at his father’s house he not only wanted to race but was certain he could be competitive at the highest levels. At this point, his father who had never shared much with him told him stories of his grandfather Arne who had been an Olympic cross country ski racer for Norway and also raced bikes. The two would begin travelling throughout the Pacific Northwest to races where the hard-headed Tuft either won solo by ten minutes or his thrift store equipment failed.
The ensuing tales of his unconventional rise through the ranks of competitive cycling feature many trials and tribulations of travel, tenuous sponsorships and paychecks, and unique and challenging teammates. He also details his own search for his tribe and quest for inner fulfillment through challenge and effort. He is self-effacing and reflective while never being apologetic. By the time he is racing at the Pro Tour level, his incredible experiences have shaped him into an invaluable teammate and one of the best riders in the world. His ability to adapt and his love of learning by doing things his own way is unique in the sport and proves extremely effective. It is nothing short of a riveting book about an absolutely one-of-a-kind individual but ultimately extremely interesting man. Readers can learn a lot from how he approached his life and how he shares what he has learned.
We Will Never Be Here Again: Adventures in cycling from the wilderness to the Tour de France, by Svein Tuft (Author), Richard Abraham (Author), Paperback
Publisher: Svein Tuft & Richard Abraham
Publication date: March 15, 2025
Language: English
Print length: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1068309202
ISBN-13: 978-1068309205
(Visited 11 times, 10 visits today)