Adam Blythe marks Tinkoff debut with third place in Australia
British rider Adam Blythe appears on podium in the People's Choice Classic and talks to CW about his role in new team Tinkoff

Adam Blythe opened his season with new team Tinkoff today at the People's Choice Classic armed with a renewed sense of motivation that helped power the Yorkshireman to third place.
Blythe spearheaded Tinkoff’s assault at the Tour Down Under prelude criterium in Adelaide, South Australia finishing third behind winner Caleb Ewan (Orica-GreenEdge) and Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek-Segafredo).
The 26-year-old last year supported Ewan in races for Orica-GreenEdge but found himself sprinting against the Australian on a city circuit.
Blythe has only one compatriot in sports director Sean Yates at the team but appears to be making a seamless transition.
>>> Caleb Ewan wins People’s Choice Classic ahead of Tour Down Under
“We had a good training camp in December in Gran Canaria,” Blythe said.
“It was a lot more chilled than I thought [it would be]. I was still training really hard but everyone was just super calm. You never feel like you’re being watched as such. You always just do your own thing, get your training done and that’s all. There’s no other bullshit sort of thing you’ve got to pay attention to, which is quite nice.”
A relaxed Blythe arrived in Australia with an international cast of team-mates on January 4 and has taken advantage of fine training weather before the official start of the WorldTour season on Tuesday.
“We sat at a coffee shop the other day and we all realised we’re all from different countries. Everyone on the table is from somewhere different but we all get on well,” he said.
>>> Tour Down Under 2016: Latest news, reports, previews and more
“I’m in a room with [Italian] Oscar Gatto at the minute. He’s learning English and I’m trying to learn Italian so it’s kind of good but a lot of the time I Google Translate.”
Blythe joins Tinkoff with the main aim of supporting world champion Peter Sagan through the spring classics up until Paris-Roubaix.
Watch: Tour Down Under 2016 preview
“Hopefully I’ll be in good condition and I can look after him as long as I can,” he said. “I’ve got to see how I’m going I guess. I’ll say at the moment the first 20km I’ll help him and depending on my form after that!
“It will be a similar thing to what I’ve done in the past when I was with Lotto, trying to take care of [Philippe] Gilbert and keep him out of the wind as long as possible.
“For Peter, it’s kind of special,” Blythe continued. “You don’t really get a chance to ride for a world champion who can be that good the whole year. I’m super motivated for it as well, which is a good feeling.”
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Sophie Smith is an Australian journalist, television reporter and presenter, who has provided coverage for Cycling Weekly from races across the world. She has covered eight Tours de France, as well as reporting for national and international newspapers as well as other magazines.
Follow Sophie Smith on Twitter and Instagram:
Instagram: sophiesmith86
Twitter: @SophieSmith86
-
-
Sprint teams mess it up in Treviso: Five talking points from stage 18 of the Giro d'Italia 2022
This was supposed to be a bunch sprint, right? Right?
By Adam Becket • Published
-
CamelBak MULE Commute 22 backpack review
There is a lot to like about the CamelBak MULE Commute 22 backpack: it works perfectly for a variety of tasks from work, to travel, with all errands in between
By Paul Grele • Published
-
Former cycling team boss Oleg Tinkov comes out against Russia's invasion of Ukraine
Former owner of Tinkoff-Saxo says war is "unthinkable and unacceptable"
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Former Tinkoff owner Oleg Tinkov convicted of tax fraud and fined over $500 million
The Russian was also handed a one-year suspended jail sentence
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Oleg Tinkov to pay $500m after pleading guilty to US tax fraud
The Russian billionaire and former team owner pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return
By Jonny Long • Published
-
Adam Blythe reveals new British champion's kit (and he's gone for white shorts)
British champion Adam Blythe has revealed the national champion's kit that he will wear for Aqua Blue Sport in 2017, controversially choosing white shorts.
By Henry Robertshaw • Published
-
Oleg Tinkov and Bjarne Riis in war of words over the way Tinkoff team was run
As the Tinkoff team comes to an end, Bjarne Riis and Oleg Tinkov continue to disagree over the way the squad was run
By Gregor Brown • Published
-
Sean Yates: ‘I don’t think I’ll be on a WorldTour team in 2017'
British sports director and former pro Sean Yates may have to leave the WorldTour when the Tinkoff team ends in December
By Gregor Brown • Published
-
Daniele Bennati suffers fractured vertebra in Milan-San Remo crash
Veteran Italian rider Daniele Bennati came down in crash shortly before the climb of the Cipressa
By Richard Windsor • Published
-
Alberto Contador: Volta a Catalunya line-up 'as good as Tour de France'
Tinkoff leader Alberto Contador says that he's been suffering from a cold after Paris-Nice and may not be at his best in Volta a Catalunya (March 21-27)
By Nigel Wynn • Published