Interview with Jason Osborne
TOUR: Mr Osborne, last year you established yourself in road cycling and secured a new contract. How would you summarise your second career as an athlete so far?
Jason Osborne: I'm still finding my feet, gradually discovering my strengths. I had longed for a major coup, but that didn't materialise in 2023. I was at the Vuelta, but even then I had hoped for more. On the other hand, I rode really good races, which also gave me confidence and courage.
TOUR: What were they?
Jason Osborne: The Tour of Austria showed me that I can be successful at this level. I was at an altitude training camp beforehand. At the Dauphiné and the Tour de Romandie, the engine wasn't really there yet, but that was different in Austria. I was still really fresh on the fifth day and achieved personal bests. That was the level to ride at the very front - against people like Pavel Sivakov. Unfortunately, I didn't reach that level at the Vuelta.
TOUR: But it looks very successful from the outside. What do you hope will go better?
Jason Osborne: I want to bring back the level I've already shown. It's clear that there will be dips in form from time to time. But I'm aiming to raise the basic level and keep it stable over the season. I also have to learn how to deal with the difficult days. That's very important in cycling. It defines the good riders. When these people realise: "Oh, I'm not having a good day." They then switch off and ride anyway.
TOUR: Does your new contract also give you a new role in the team?
Jason Osborne: No, not for the time being. Fortunately, I'm in a good team that is developing more in the direction of a classic sprinter's team. I think I'll have my freedom in less flat races, like in Austria in 2023. I can't complain about that. I would have less freedom in teams that race for the overall classification.
I rode really good races, which also gave me confidence and courage. - Jason Osborne
From rower to professional cyclist
TOUR: Was dealing with setbacks new to you?
Jason Osborne: Yes, it was different to rowing. I was actually always one of the favourites. If I wasn't ill or injured, I always had a podium chance. Cycling has many more factors that decide the result.
TOUR: More coincidence? More people involved?
Jason Osborne: Let's call it racing scenarios or the way races are run differently, which teams work how. It's mentally more demanding than rowing, also because there's simply a lot more time to think. Rowing races only last six minutes. There's not really any time to think. You have to respond to an attack. You have much more time on the bike. There are different groups. There are different race situations and teams that bring the breakaway back.
TOUR: Do you feel that you have a good grasp of what's going on in the peloton?
Jason Osborne: Basically yes. Well, sometimes there are surprises. But the pattern of the races is often the same, so I can deal with that. What I have learnt well is positioning. Form is also a deciding factor. If it's good, it's easier for me to find the right positions. If it's not good, you tend to lose your cool and perhaps miss the connection. On the Grossglockner stage in Austria, I had the feeling that I had a really good overview of the race. I even slowed down a bit on the descent because I was sure that I would be able to easily catch up with the leaders later on. That way I don't have to take any risks.
TOUR: Was it a risk for you to change sport and focus on road cycling?
Jason Osborne: Contracts are by no means guaranteed in cycling, especially not in the World Tour. That's why it was risky. I first made the cut with rowing and then realised: now it's going to be a bit difficult. After my first internship at Quick-Step, I didn't have a contract. I was caught between two stools. I was determined to continue doing sport. Then I thought: I'll go back to rowing, to the Olympics in Paris. A goal like that is important to me. And then I got the call from Alpecin-Deceuninck in February 22 at the rowing training camp. It was my greatest wish come true.
TOUR: Nevertheless, cycling could have been a short trip. Weren't you worried then?
Jason Osborne: I didn't give it that much thought. Sure, it was a step professionally. But for the athlete in me, the risk was manageable. I already had an Olympic medal, which had always been my biggest goal. I was looking for new motivation. I had been rowing since I was ten. Now I needed something new. Especially as lightweight rowing was taken out of the Olympic programme after the Games in Paris. There were no longer many prospects for me. Nevertheless, I will be anchored in the rowing community for the rest of my life.
TOUR: You competed for the first time at the 2019 German Cycling Championships, in the time trial. Did anyone know you then?
Jason Osborne: Only a few insiders knew me from Strava, because of my KOMs there. I wasn't part of the scene at all. I was unknown to the people from the federation. Back then, I just wanted to try out a bit alongside rowing, to show off a bit. But that was only possible in individual time trials. A road race would have been too risky because I was always preparing for rowing competitions. I chose the safe option in cycling to get in. That also applied to e-cycling - and then I suddenly had attention.
TOUR: You were the first world champion. Did these virtual races bear any resemblance to what you do now as a professional?
Jason Osborne: I think the two are closely linked. You can't underestimate that. After all, my current team also keeps an eye on what people are doing on Zwift. They are very much at the forefront. I think that the sporting achievements in e-cycling are otherwise underestimated. Cycling still seems a bit old-school overall when it comes to discovering talent, for example.
TOUR: Would it be conceivable for you to earn real money with e-cycling?
Jason Osborne: That wasn't so much my thought at first. I rather saw that it was an official world championship, so something really big with medals from the world federation. I also don't see that there's any real money to be made from it yet. It's still in its infancy. I hope that a real professional sport will establish itself there. But at the moment it's also a catch-all for people who don't get the chance to assert themselves in the World Tour.
TOUR: When you were allowed to ride in a professional team for the first time in 2021 - what were you missing?
Jason Osborne: At the beginning I jumped in at the deep end, I lacked experience in all situations - I was also not physiologically prepared for the sport. I had learnt to row, so I was familiar with every move. But I had no roots in cycling, I hadn't grown into it in any way. I came out of the rowing season onto the road in the summer. That was tough. I wasn't able to assert myself at Quick-Step either.
TOUR: Was it easier in the development team at Alpecin-Deceuninck?
Jason Osborne: No, on the contrary. I crashed in my first race, I think together with Pascal Ackermann. We were travelling fast, maybe 60 km/h, and luckily I only had minor grazes. I thought: this is where the action is, this is war. Then I crashed into a barbed wire fence during the race in Leuven, my head bled a lot. But it was soon back to racing again, with crashes. That was crazy.
TOUR: When did you have the feeling that things could be going better?
Jason Osborne: Soon enough. After my current team called me in February 2022, I took my time. I prepared specifically for my role in Cologne with training expert Lukas Löer and was really fit. I was there with the team when we won a small junior tour. That was good for my self-confidence. At the Arctic Race of Norway, I then had a chance of winning the overall race myself - but my chain broke on my bike.
Goals in cycling
TOUR: Do you feel that you can move safely in the peloton today - between all those who have been on the bike for ten, 15, 20 years?
Jason Osborne: I think I've learnt and adapted a lot of things. I know how to get to the front safely. At the beginning I crashed because I was riding too far out and too close behind the people in front of me. I crashed and learnt from that that you always have to have your eyes everywhere: What is the road surface like? What is the rider in front doing? Where is he going next?
TOUR: The others have trained this perception over many years. How do you manage to catch up?
Jason Osborne: Trying things out, taking risks. I switch on my head, set myself smaller tasks in race situations, set myself goals and take risks. At the Vuelta, in a very difficult race situation after a crash, I set myself the goal of riding to the front and being able to follow a probable attack. That worked and I immediately had the feeling: aha, I can do it.
TOUR: But you also have to adapt your body: your upper body has to become narrower, your legs stronger. And you want to become lighter. How is that going?
Jason Osborne: I notice that my shoulder muscles have already decreased significantly, fortunately also my arms. But of course, the legs are getting stronger, so the mass is still there. I had hoped to lose weight faster.
TOUR: How much do you want to get rid of?
Jason Osborne: Two or three kilos would be good. But it's also complicated, you can do a lot wrong. Last season I was at a really good weight before the classics season, but I wasn't in shape yet. I went on a really hard diet before the Vuelta, but it wasn't enough for the start. 67, 68 kilos is good for me. At the end of the Vuelta I had that too. But I also realised that I wouldn't be able to keep it off for long. It's a question of timing, of harmonising with the season's goals.
TOUR: You were not satisfied with your performance at the Vuelta - yet you had passed one of the three grand tours ...
Jason Osborne: I had perhaps set my sights too high. I wanted to compete for a stage win. I realised that it wasn't going to be easy. I still tried every day and realised that I wasn't at my best. Then I made a cut and said: It's all about the team, the green jersey for Kaden Groves. That worked out and I was happy with that.
TOUR: Are you leading a dream life now?
Jason Osborne: I have to say: it's also very hard. I would have hoped for a bit more success of my own. But that may yet come...
TOUR: You decided against your trained profession as a banker in favour of cycling. Do you ever regret your choice?
Jason Osborne: No! I enjoy the life where I don't have a nine-to-five job. What I'm doing right now is special and won't last forever. It motivates me when I can get better and measure myself against the best in the world. I really appreciate that.
I have to say: cycling is also very tough. I would have hoped for a little more success of my own. But that may yet come. - Jason Osborne
Future plans
TOUR: You have the Olympic rings tattooed on your arm. Would it be an option for you to cycle to the 2024 Olympics?
Jason Osborne: Difficult. I would love to go to the Olympics again. But that would be a matter of luck. Maybe it would be possible with a few good results in the time trial, but it's rather unlikely. I'm working harder on the individual time trial, including in the wind tunnel. At the 2023 German Championships, I had the feeling that I had taken a step backwards compared to the competition. I don't want that to happen again. I have the potential, especially for longer time trials - I've already shown that.
TOUR: You now have a two-year contract. That's a relevant leap. What goals have you set yourself for this next phase?
Jason Osborne: Of course my own results, like in Austria. I want to be at the front more often. At the Vuelta, I had the feeling that the level of the others was very high - but you can also use that as an excuse. Because afterwards I realised that my results in the races were often not that good either. So for me it's about reaching the top level more consistently, being more stable. Then I'll be able to ride with the best.
TOUR: Are there any dream races for you where you would like to make your mark?
Jason Osborne: The classics suit me, including the classic in San Sebastian. These are races with shorter climbs lasting a maximum of ten minutes. I'm assuming that I'll get a chance there too. And in the tours, I want to make the most of my opportunities to get into the breakaway groups. But above all I have to learn to be cooler and not jump straight away. I still lacked that this year.
About Jason Osborne
Jason Osborne was born on 20 March 1994 in Mönchengladbach and lives in Mainz. The German-British athlete began his sporting career as a rower in his former home town of Dorsten. The highlight of his career in the boat was the Olympic silver medal that he won together with Jonathan Rommelmann in the lightweight double scull at the 2021 Games in Tokyo.
Since 2017, Osborne has been part of a cycling training group at the Mainz Rowing Club of 1878. In 2018, Osborne finished eighth at the DM in the individual time trial, and sixth in 2019. His victory at the first E-cycling World Championships in 2020 brought him the attention of professional cycling teams. From August to December 2021, Osborne rode as a stagiaire for Deceuninck-Quick-Step, and from June 2022 for the junior team of Alpecin-Fenix, now Alpecin-Deceuninck. He completed a full road season for the team in 2023, finishing second overall in the Tour of Austria and 131st in the Tour of Spain. Osborne is a trained banker.
