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| Svein Tuft: Canada's new great white hope. |
The tattoo in dark letters on Svein Tuft’s right forearm reads: We will never be here again. If Tuft wants to savour the ride, it’s understandable, since it’s hard to imagine a pro cyclist taking a more unlikely path. He was a Grade 10 dropout who logged thousands of kilometres in the woods of B.C. and Alaska on a bike he purchased for $40 at a second-hand store. He welded a trailer to the bike to carry supplies and his dog Bear, 80 pounds worth of fierceness and loyalty. This wasn’t training for the Tour de France. Tuft didn’t even know what it was. His first pro bike race didn’t happen until he was 23. Biking, to him, was a way to reach the mountains — he couldn’t afford a car. He barely had any money.
Tuft went into the wilderness to learn about himself. He hardly took any equipment — just a wool blanket and a tarp on his early trips. “That started everything for me,” said Tuft. “It was about exploring and the freedom of travel. I had nothing in those days and I will still say to this day, ‘That was living.’ I had no plan. I didn’t have BlackBerrys or cellphones or things to pay off. I had no money, but what I had was all I needed.” Tuft sounds like a throwback to the coureurs de bois days, that’s a good thing, since he’ll need those adventuresome qualities in his new role. He’s the leader on Team SpiderTech powered by C10, a new Canadian cycling team being unveiled Friday in Toronto that has big plans for the future — reaching the Tour de France by 2013.
Team leader Steve Bauer, the Canadian cycling great who wore the yellow jersey for 14 days in the Tour de France, couldn’t believe his good fortune when Tuft became available, after his previous team failed to get a Professional Continental license. Bauer’s team is the first Canadian entry to gain such a license. In Tuft, they are getting a guy who has won prologues on the world tour, captured silver in the time trial at the 2008 worlds and was seventh at the Beijing Olympics. Tuft could get more money by signing with a team one rung higher on the world tour, but this is clearly a guy who bleeds maple syrup.
“It’s always been my dream,” said the 33-year-old from Langley, B.C. “I want to grow with these guys as they make the steps. I love seeing Canadian talent doing well. It’s great to be at the very top level and do your stuff, but man, it’s so much more satisfying to be part of something you feel good about and you can really get behind.” The fellowship of the wheel is an important element for Tuft, who, continuing on that Lord of the Rings theme, could be viewed as the team’s Aragorn. This is a unique guy, not your typical athlete, and he’s eager to share what he’s learned with the younger riders on Team SpiderTech — but, maybe more importantly, still feels he’s learning himself. Where he once slept in his tent on the side of the road, he now lodges in first-rate hotels. The $40 bike has been replaced by sleek pieces of technology worth thousands of dollars.
None of this impresses Tuft. He loves bike racing, but also looks forward to retreating to the mountains in B.C. in the off-season. His tattoo is a reminder of what’s important to him. “What’s really of value is experiences and also being in the state of mind to enjoy those experiences,” said Tuft. “To me, that’s so key, because I’ve been places where the head’s just spinning outta control. And it’s the most beautiful place. And you’re just focused on whatever’s going on in your life or people. It’s like you’re not even there. To me, it’s just a sad way to go through life. Because at the end of the day, all you have are those experiences and those people in your life that are important to you. I want that.”
Canadian Olympic great Clara Hughes, who did research on Tuft for her work as a colour commentator for CBC at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, came away a huge fan. “I don’t think there’s another Svein Tuft on this planet,” said Hughes. “The fact he’s been able to channel that free spirit, that tough-as-nails persona that he is into something like road cycling is just awesome. He’s doing the sport in his own way, on his own terms, and that’s something I really respect and admire.” He certainly has the genes. His grandfather Arne finished sixth for Norway in the men’s 50-kilometre cross country ski race at the 1936 Winter Olympics. Tuft developed a great work ethic growing up. Maybe he didn’t have a choice. His father ran a general contracting business and expected the kids to chip in. “He’d put you to work if he saw you idle.”
When he went off on his adventures, Tuft supported himself with all kinds of jobs, from building log homes to hay baling in the Fraser Valley to working on farms in Chilliwack, which generally paid $12 or $15 an hour plus a big dinner. "You do that for three, four days and you’re really set to go, man.” Tuft was working at a place that salvaged wire rope and cable chain when he told the foreman he was going off for his first bike race. “There was nothing that would tell me that was a feasible thing to do, but here I am and I’m amazed what I’ve been able to do in such a short period of time,” he said. “For me, it’s never been about getting the riches. . . . I want the chance to do that work and show what I can do.” He’ll definitely be getting that.
Spyns is an active travel company based in Whister, BC (Canada) and Beaujolais France. Spyns specializes in 2011 Tour de France packages for both riders and non-riders. We specialize in providing clients with Tour de France bike and non-biking packages with Paris grandstand seats and VIP access. Spyns offers active holidays to Europe including trips to the 2011 Tour de France. For more information about Spyns 2011 Tour de France tours, please go to http://www.tdf-tours.com/ or http://www.spyns.com/. You can also call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.
