Sam Bewley hopes he has the right shape to take out his first ever New Zealand National Road Race tomorrow.

“I’ve never really backed myself down there in the past, but this year my goals are a little different,” explains Bewley to SBS cycling. 

“I’ve actually been training hard for the past few months and I’m in quite good condition, so I’m pretty keen to get down there and have a crack. It is going to be an exciting race.”

Bewley has struggled to get over the tough Dyers Pass climb in the past, but this year he says he can get over it and then be in the final flat lap with the rest of the competition.

“The key is the climb and to climb 10 times is not easy,” he adds. “I’ve improved my climbing a lot over the past 12 months. I climbed well at the Tour of Spain and that has given me a lot of confidence going into the nationals.”
 

“The way I am going, I think I can get up it. Then it is anyone’s race over the lasts few laps.”

Having never won a road race title before, Bewley is dreaming about taking the win and returning to his Orica Greenedge team with the Silver Fern on his jersey.

“That would be pretty cool,” he admits. “It is always nice to race in a slightly different version of the race jersey with a New Zealand fern on it. That would be beautiful.”