Joao Correia – living the dream
Last year this time Joao Correia was working behind a desk as the associate publisher of Bicycling Magazine and raced domestically – now he is racing in Europe as a member of the Cervélo Test Team. What more could a passionate cyclist wish for?
Slowtwitch: So this appears to be the big time now Joao.
Joao: Seems that way.
ST: How has the transition worked out for you?
Joao: So far so good. I arrived in Europe at the beginning of December to get settled in, prepare for the first camp in Tenerife and get to know the guys on the squad. I just finished my first race, the Étoile de Bessèges in France, which went well. I do expect that it will be a full gas from here forward though.
ST: You know that you are living the dream of many of our readers by coming out from behind the desk and racing with the big boys in Europe.
Joao: Yes I’m becoming more and more aware of that with the number of e-mails I’ve received from people as well as the comments I’ve seen online. Its actually a dream for me as well, but I am really happy people have connected with it in the way they have. For me it’s a real motivator to know that folks are following along and are inspired by my story.
ST: The paycheck for a pro racer is quite a bit different than for a publisher, especially if it isn’t a Pro Tour team. Or is it all about the passion?
Joao: I’ve always believed that no job is worth doing if you don’t love it. Before taking any job, I always ask myself, ‘Is this something that I really want to do and can imagine being great at?’ Generally the financial side follows if you’re passionate and driven. Having said that I have a family and a home back in New York and being a responsible father and husband is important to me, so the financial side of the equation had to work. I’m fortunate that Gerard, Phil and the team saw the value that I bring and wanted to make it work.
ST: Was your wife surprised when you brought up this idea?
Joao: Yes and no. My wife Tiiu has known that I wanted to do this for a while but it was going to take the right opportunity as well as the right time for me to do it. I wasn’t going to be able to race in the domestic scene while working for another year. It was becoming too much stress on my family and professional life not to mention really handicapping my ability to perform on the bike, so it was now or never. Tiiu has been really supportive of the move, but like with any family, it’s a constant evolving situation and we are always adjusting to make sure that our marriage and my relationship with my kids doesn’t suffer too much. This is definitely a lot of stress on her since now Tiiu has to handle everything at home including a successful publishing career of her own.
ST: With Tiiu having a career stateside, I assume your family continues living in NYC. With your busy schedule in Europe now, how do you juggle seeing them?
Joao: Right, they are back in New York and the juggle isn't great. I've been in Europe since December. We all spent Christmas in Europe and then I was home for three days in February. Depending on Tiiu's work schedule they may or may not come over at the end of March and then I'll be home before California in May, they'll come in July. You get the point. It's definitely a juggle and with kids in school its a little tougher but we're making it work. Skype helps a lot. That's something we didn't have when I was here in the mid 90's. Come to think of it no e-mail either.
ST: Tell us more about your experience at Étoile de Bessèges.
Joao: It went well. The stages weren’t terribly long–between 140-150kilometers with medium climbs. Once Thor was out due to sickness we were sort of without a leader and it turned more into more of a series of tough training rides than a race we were looking to win. I was under strict orders to conserve as much energy as possible in the first three days to see how I would recuperate. Fortunately I felt a little better every day and I think the last day was the day where I had the best legs, so that was a huge motivator for me.
ST: What is next?
Joao: My program until June is really good. I am doing a lot of good races and it will be Classica de Almeria in February, Vuelta a Murcia and Volta a Catalynia in March, Hel Van Het Mergeland, Rund um Koln, GP Pino Cerami, Vuelta a Castila Leon and Tour of Romandie in April, Tour of California in May, the Dauphine Libere and National Championships in June.
ST: Which race/s are you most looking forward to this year?
Joao: It’s hard to pick just one but probably Tour of California and the National Championships in Portugal. Those are two races that I would consider to be on home soil, so I’d like to go well in each of them. Having said that I think I will need to go really well at races like Romandie and the Dauphine to contribute to the team’s success.
ST: What has the drug testing been like since you got on the Cervélo Test Team, and how does it compare to racing domestically in the US?
Joao: The team is part of the UCI's Biological Passport and personally I've been tested three times already this season. I think the testing in Europe happens more often than in the US and there is a lot more out-of-competition testing in addition to in-competition testing than there in the US. The UCI's whereabouts system took a little getting used to but its a positive step in regaining credibility for the sport.
ST: Talk about your team bikes and which models you are riding.
Joao: One of the advantages we have on the team is the access to the absolute best. Your readers are pretty familiar with Cervélo and we have access to all the bikes in the stable. At home I train on an S2 and race on an S3 or R3SL. For the time trial we have the P3 at home and race on a P4. It’s my first year riding a Cervélo and I’ve been really impressed with how they handle. I rode the time trial bikes for the first time at the Algarve training camp. We were riding in formation and when we ended the drills I thought ‘wow’ these things are really fast. You notice that these bikes just cut through the air differently and that is really apparent on the TT rigs, but also the S2 and S3 models because of the tubing.
ST: There are to types of pros, those who know everything about their bikes including all the fit data and those who just sit on the bike and ride it. Which one are you?
Joao: I’m a bit of a hybrid. I know everything about my bike and fit and really enjoy the technical details but I don’t get as hung up on if things aren’t perfect as I once did. For example my stack height on the training bike was a little lower than what I am used to and I just rolled with it and now have adapted it. It has a little more drop, which makes me a little more aero and I have learned to be just as comfortable.
ST: Who helped you with the bike fit?
Joao: At the camps we had Damon Rinard the Cervélo race engineer help us with position, but most of the riders have been on the same position for a long time so it’s hard to change now. Damon is there to advise and offer suggestions, which are really helpful and I personally used some of them especially on the TT bike. Unfortunately most of it is secret so I can’t talk about it ☺
ST: But is no secret that you have been a big Pinarello fan and rider for quite some time. Where you worried about riding the Cervélo?
Joao: No although I hadn’t ridden a Cervélo in a few years, I knew the reputation of the bikes and have a good number of friends in NYC who swear by the brand as well as really positive feedback from the editors at Bicycling. I knew that the bikes would be great and one thing I can say is that there is something to this aero tubing thing. The bikes just feel super fast yet comfortable, which isn’t always the case with stiff bikes. It’s a racing bike for sure.
ST: You are Portuguese but grew up pretty much in the USA, correct?
Joao: Correct. My parents immigrated to the US in the mid 80’s when I was 11. I was brought up in the US and went to school there. Although I have dual nationality and am very proud of my Portuguese roots, I think my mentality and cultural side is mostly American.
ST: Were you the team’s secret weapon during the training camp in Portugal?
Joao: The team had actually done a camp there last year so they knew the roads and everything else. I don’t come from that area of Portugal, so I wasn’t too familiar with it, but I do have some friends who live there. It was really nice to start things off with the team in place that I consider to be a home. It definitely helped me to relax and integrate into the mix.
ST: Talk about your training now, and compare it to the last few years.
Joao: I work with Philippe Maduit one of our sports directors on my training programs, which are designed around my race calendar. The biggest difference is the number of hours. When I was working full time I was training mostly at night in Central Park and during the summer I’d be able to head across the bridge into New Jersey. I worked exclusively with Power and did a lot of medium endurance and sub-threshold specific work on climbs. Now the type of training is the same but I do more hours because one I have more time to train. The most important thing though is that I have more time to recover. In addition to working with power I’m learning to also place an equal amount of importance on hearth rate and a bit of feel. Typically, my program calls for two to six hours per-day and average 20-30 hours per week on the bike. In addition to that I do a great deal of core work, which is especially important for older athletes.
ST: Your business background is quite interesting. Will you be assisting the team with more than just your racing legs?
Joao: It’s something that I would definitely like to do, but both the team and I are pretty focused on the sporting aspect. Having said that, I have a descent resume with 10 years of experience building and running businesses and am always looking for ways to use those skills and relationships. I think if your stagnant for too long you can loose a lot of that equity. Right now though, I am just focused on the racing and contributing to the team in a sporting aspect.
ST: Along those lines, which magazines you subscribe to.
Joao: Good! I’m actually a huge magazine reader. Always have been which is one of the reasons why I got into the business. Bicycling is still at the top of the list because obviously I was there for a long time and I think it will take me a while to emotionally disconnect from the publication. The first time I didn’t see my name on the masthead was a little bit shocking even though I had been gone for two months. I read Pro Cycling as well when I can get my hands on it. I think those guys do a good job with the publication and have a really good niche. In cycling the only other thing I read regularly is BiciSport from Italy. I also read GQ, Vogue, the Economist and pick up different magazines when I can or when people send them to me.
ST: Do you follow any other sports?
Joao: Cricket. I’m a huge cricket fan. It’s a secret obsession I’d say. I find the sport fascinating and I think it’s the most undervalued of the contact sports today. This being Olympic season I have spent a little too much time on Curling which I didn’t know a) was a sport and b) a winter Olympic sport at that.
ST: Share with us some of your food likes and dislikes.
Joao: Yeah food is a bit of a problem for me. I really, really like to eat. I have to fight very hard to behave at the table. Italian is my number one weakness. Mozzarella di Bufala is particularly problematic. Rabbit anyway is a usually a killer as well since normally I have to eat it with a nice bottle of Barolo. I eat a lot of Sushi when I am home. Tiiu and I live in Brooklyn Heights and have a great sushi spot around the corner. Obviously Portuguese food is something I need to eat. Funny enough, Tiiu and I are also huge breakfast people. When I’m home we go out to breakfast a lot and, yeah, it’s a problem. Next question.
ST: What music do you enjoy?
Joao: I was just commenting on Twitter the other day that I felt like I’ve become a kid again! I am listening to way too much hip-hop and rap. Mos Def is high on the playlist before the stages. Biggie, Snoop Dog, 50 Cent, Tribe Called Quest. It’s out of control. Having said that I also listen to classical to relax since its tough to relax to Biggie.
ST: What was the last book you read?
Joao: Sorkin’s Too Big to Fail is the last one. I was reading Agassi’s autobiography, which is fascinating until Theo Bos asked to borrow it and never returned it.
ST: How about putting some pressure on Theo Bos to return the book?
Joao: He actually just gave it back to me here in Majorca. But I thought my previous answer was better 🙂
ST: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Joao: Obviously it’s hard to say but I do have a five-year plan (although five years ago I didn’t think I’d be here). In five year’s Id like to be in the last year of my pro career and then I would really like to try and get an MBA at a school like HBS before transitioning back into the corporate world.
ST: Is there anything else we should know about you?
Joao: I honestly miss wearing a suit to work every day. It makes me sad that I’ve got a closet full of really nice Zegna suits that I basically have no use for other than the odd event. Hopefully the styles will come back around when I get back into the corporate world!
