The six-time Olympic cycling gold medalist Sir Chris Hoy is a keynote speaker at this weekend’s Advantage Conference in France. He spoke to Ben Ireland
Q. The Advantage Conference is this year being held at Club Med’s Opio en Provence resort near Nice, in the south of France. Have you been?
A. I used to train an hour up the road in Hyères, near Toulon. It’s a typical Cote d’Azur town, a lovely little place with some great rides and an outdoor velodrome.
Q. The theme is ‘Man & Machine’. What piece of travel technology has impressed you the most?
A. Noise-cancelling headphones really improved the comfort on long-haul flights. That was a massive change – you didn’t have that drone in your ears at the end of the flight anymore.
I also like Beanhunter. It’s an app on my phone which finds cafes and rates them. I’m a coffee obsessive, so that’s fascinating to me.
Q. Elite cycling involves high‑tech machinery as well as manpower. How much influence does technology have on top‑level cycling?
A. There might be a perception that the bikes play a big role, but at the very high end there’s little between the bikes, so it’s all about the riders.
I think the technology that goes into monitoring the athletes when they’re testing is more interesting; it’s really complex. In the early days it was just a stopwatch; now, we measure everything, from torque to heart rate. It helps you make marginal gains. But it’s all about using the data. Without human interpretation, data means little. Training is a balance of science and art. There are times when there is no right or wrong answer, and that’s when the best coaches shine.
Q. Can travel agents use technology and data to make their own marginal gains?
A. Of course. I presume that what each client wants is different, just like how every cyclist is different. You might have someone who wants to go on holiday to lie on a beach and another who wants to explore culture.
Q. Do you prefer a fly-and-flop holiday or an adventure getaway?
A. When I was cycling I wanted a complete break after 11-and-a-half months’ training, so I’d go somewhere with sun and do nothing. Now, I’m more interested in exploring. Cambodia, where I saw temples, met the people and learnt about the tragc history of the country, really impressed me. We went to the Killing Fields, which isn’t something I would have thought I’d want to do on holiday, but it opened my eyes.
Q. Anywhere on your bucket list?
A. I would love to go to New York. I’ve been to the airport but never found the time to see the city. One place I recently ticked off the bucket list was Reykjavik. It was fantastic.
Q. How do you go about getting your bike around the world?
A. I pack it up in a box. It’s quite straightforward actually, and I’ve got so used to doing it.
When we travelled as teams, all the luggage would go in one big massive heap. We took it to the airport with us and there’d be a mountain of bikes there. Most riders have at least two bikes, so a group of 20 could have between 50 and 60 bikes. It’s a huge amount of kit. I used to have a distorted perspective of flying because of the hassle of travelling with teams. I love it now when I can travel with just hand luggage, hop off the plane and go straight to the next place.
Q. How is airplane food for an elite athlete’s diet?
A. It isn’t just the quality and the lack of nutrients, it’s the quantity too. On a 10-hour flight I’d tend to bring food with me to ensure I had enough protein. Most riders take protein bars, gels or powders. Even on a rest day you have to get your nutrients in. It’s also important to stay hydrated in the air.
Q. You’ve competed at four Olympic Games. Which was the best destination?
A. Sydney was my favourite. I’m a massive fan of Australia and used to train in Perth, which I know like the back of my hand. If I was going to move anywhere abroad, it would actually be Melbourne. I’d go there more often if it wasn’t so far away.
Q. Do you ever go on cycling holidays? And what do you think of the rise in adventure tourism?
A. Cycling holidays are great, and I still take my bike on holiday with me if it’s a place with nice rides and climate. It doesn’t have to be a training camp, and it’s a great way to see a new place. You can stop off anywhere, speak to people, get food or a coffee and see places you wouldn’t see otherwise.
I’m getting more into adventure tourism. When you go somewhere it’s nice to do something a bit different. I went shark cage diving in Adelaide.
Q. What can delegates expect from your speech?
A. It’s about my story and will give an insight into how much work has gone in. It’s not just the track, it’s the psychology of performance, what goes through your mind, how to prepare for big occasions and how to go from a six-year-old kid with a bike to a six-time Olympic gold medallist.
Q. What would you like delegates to take away?
A. You can amaze yourself with what you can achieve with hard work. I wasn’t a child who was amazing at sport – you wouldn’t have picked me out as an Olympic champion. If you’ve got a dream, that’s brilliant, but it will stay a dream unless you are willing to work hard for it.
But don’t limit your belief in what you can do. I hope they can apply [my speech] to their businesses or personal lives, to get fit and healthy or change the way they feel. Often, people find excuses not to do stuff. But if you limit your belief, you start at a disadvantage. Aim for the stars.
Full coverage of the conference (May 12-15) in Travel Weekly and on travelweekly.co.uk
Sir Chris’s haul of fame
Olympic Games
Six gold medals
One silver medal (joint-most successful British Olympian ever)
World Championships
Eleven gold medals
Eight silver medals
Six bronze medals
Commonwealth Games
Two gold medals
Two bronze medals
European Championships
One bronze medal