Bike racing has, historically, found its greatest events and adherents in Western Europe. One thinks of France, Italy, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands and Germany as traditional hotbeds of competition. The sport has become far more international in nature, although the primary stage remains highly traditional and European. There have been Grand Tour winners from Ecuador and Colombia and somehow tiny Slovenia has become a mighty power on the road while Norway is moving up the ranks. But one of the most interesting, albeit more gradual, developments has been that of Australia over the years.
In his fascinating book, “Wheel Life 2,” which we reviewed HERE and rated as one of our favourite books of the year, author Ben Schofield provided reminiscences of Australian cycling in the 1970s and 1980s. For many of this it was a look into an unknown world, covering domestic racing on the road and track and the first real visibility on the road in Europe. In 1981 Phil Anderson became the first non-European to don the Yellow Jersey and lead the Tour de France.
Now Ben Schofield has continued his labour of love with “Wheel Life 3,” which covers the 1990s and 2000s, when Australian cyclists made huge inroads into European racing. The culmination must be Cadel Evans winning first the UCI World Road Championships and the Rainbow Jersey in 2009, followed by the Tour de France GC in 2011. Australian men have won the Rainbow Jersey five times in time trialling and once on the road. And in 2022 Jai Hindley became the first Australian to win the Giro d’Italia.
As mentioned, “Wheel Life 2” was kind of the warm-up for what was to follow. The establishment of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in 1981 was a response to the perceived poor showing at the 1976 Olympics. AIS started its track cycling program in 1987, followed by a men’s road cycling program in 1991 and women’s in 1993. Historically, particular emphasis was given to the Commonwealth Games as well as the Olympics and results soon followed.
“Wheel Life 3” is, like its predecessor volume, set out as a series of interviews with well-known Australian cyclists, covering both the road and track disciplines for both men and women. The author set out a series of questions, asking about how the riders began, their equipment, memorable races, overseas experience, their heroes/inspiration, and current activities. One great question was about “the most amazing thing they had seen” and if the question wasn’t so great many of the answers were!
Some of the riders had fairly short careers so might not be so well-known at this point outside of Australia a decade or two later but nonetheless have lots of interesting things to say. One of my favourites was Billy-Joe Shearsby, who only raced for five years but in that time managed a World Record as well as World Championship in the Team Pursuit on the track. He is now a bicycle mechanic and perhaps appreciates what he accomplished more now than he did then but he has a lot of entertaining stories.
Some of those interviewed are fairly brief while others, notably those who shifted from racing to becoming commentators, have clearly honed their knack for the well-told tale.
Five years for Billy-Joe and on the other hand we have Stuart O’Grady, who started in 17 Tours de France, winning two stages and wearing the Yellow Jersey in two editions. He won Paris-Roubaix in 2007, as well as the Madison track race at the Athens Olympic. Currently the Race Director of the Santos Tour Down Under, he may be the biggest name interviewed in the book and his comments appear throughout it, as do those of Simon Gerrans.
“Wheel Life 3” not only includes these interviews with racers discussing their careers but also has sections in which they talk about other riders not interviewed directly. Names that come up include Cadel Evans (to me the least media-savvy, or interested, of any pro rider one recalls), Robbie McEwen, Baden Cooke, and Bradley McGee. Oddly, there is no reference anywhere to be found to Michael Rogers, who won the UCI World Time Trial Championships for three consecutive years between 2003 and 2005. Among other accomplishments, Rogers will be remembered by Canadian fans for victory at the 2002 Tour de Beauce!
Much admiration is directed towards businessman Gerry Ryan. He was the moving force to get a dedicated Australian World Tour team together and is the godfather of road cycling at the highest level. His GREENEdge Cycling squad began in 2012 and continues today under the name Jayco-AlUla.
These lively voices contribute to chapters on the Tour de France, the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, riding on outdoor wooden tracks, dedicated training in European venues like Buttgen and Cottbus in Germany, which had indoor tracks, and Varese for road work. There are sections about the domestic Australian scene, including classic races like the Bendigo Madison, the Warnambool and the now-moribund Sun Tour. Non-Australian readers are reintroduced to Australian handicap racing and the tactics of “the Chop” and “the Joke.” And of course, this being about Australians, there is a final chapter on nicknames.
Today Australia boasts 27 male riders at the World Tour level, with 15 women competing. This ranks the country 9th in World Tour presence for men and 6th for women. Impressive but perhaps not so surprising given Australia’s general enthusiasm for sports in a land where training all year around is straightforward. Australian sportsmen and women who compete in Europe must make considerable sacrifices in their personal lives today and two decades ago it would have been even more difficult. The pleasure they take in telling their stories–sometimes humbly, sometimes with surprise and usually with humour–makes “Wheel Life 3” such a great read.
“Wheel Life 3–Cycling Recollections of the 1990s and 2000s” by Ben Schofield
Pictures by Graham Watson, Ray Bowles and the Author
313 pages, illustrated
Published by Ben Schofield, December 2025
ISBN 978-1-764-3861-2-8 (e-book) / 978-1-7643861-1-1 (paperback)
The book is currently available in electronic format or print-on-demand and may be ordered here.
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