Liège-Bastogne-Liège - Jason Osborne: From rowing world champion to cycling apprentice

He was world champion in rowing, but at 29 Jason Osborne still sees himself as a learner in cycling.

"There's still a lot to learn. It never ends, not even with the pros," the Mainz-born rider told the German Press Agency after his first spring classic at the cycling monument Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Osborne had even ridden in a breakaway group at the front until 60 kilometres before the finish, but in the end "the lights went out" for the lateral entrant.

E-cycling world champion on the Zwift training platform

Osborne has had a remarkable career path. In 2018, he rowed to World Championship gold in the non-Olympic lightweight single scull and also won silver in the lightweight double scull at the 2021 Summer Games in Tokyo. By this time, he had already started his transition to the bike. He became e-cycling world champion on the Zwift training platform, which opened doors for him in professional sport.

And which sport is harder? "In terms of pain, rowing, because it's full-body and knocks you out for six minutes. But a bike race lasts six hours or longer," explains Osborne, who found the change difficult: "It took a little while, but over time I got into it. I just need the races. You can't train to race."

Tough stage races in the mountains at the Tour de Romandie and the Criterium du Dauphiné now await Osborne. "It's also good that I'm being given the hard stages straight away so that I can learn quickly," says the professional cyclist, whose contract with Team Alpecin-Deceuninck expires at the end of the season.

He wants to continue to soak up everything with the Belgians, including the joint sessions with team-mate and cycling star Mathieu van der Poel from the Netherlands. "I've already been able to ride a few training camps with him. He's a great guy, it's great fun. It's always fun with him," says Osborne, who wants to continue living his cycling dream.

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