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VeloNews Q&A: 'Cross coach Geoff Proctor

By Steve Medcroft, Special to VeloNews.com
Published: Jan. 27, 2005

A High School English teacher from Helena, Montana and self-proclaimed “Europhile,” Geoff Proctor gives what most U.S. cyclo-cross racers will tell you is their greatest opportunity to gain valuable European racing experience in preparation for the international stage and especially for the world championships.

Held over the Christmas-to-New Years holiday out of the USA Cycling U23 house in ‘cross-crazy Belgium, Proctor’s Euro ‘Cross Camp allows twelve Americans the chance to eat, sleep, breathe and race ‘cross. We caught up with U.S. National Cyclo-cross coach and former world-class elite-level ‘cross racer Proctor during the 2004 camp for his impressions on the U.S. ‘cross scene and our chances at the 2005 World Championships.

VeloNews: Who came to the camp this year?

Geoff Proctor: This is the second year of the camp and we have twelve riders. Eleven of the twelve will be racing at worlds. I kind of wanted that to happen -- I didn’t know the world’s selection until after I had already decided who was coming to the camp. So we have four Elites: Ryan Trebon, Barry Wickes and Erik Tonkin all from Kona then Ben Turner from TIAA Cref. For Espoirs, we have Jesse Anthony, Jeremy Powers and John Hanson. Our juniors are Bjorn Selander, Adam McGrath, Brady Kappius, Alex Howes and Toby Marzot. I didn’t bring any women this year. There were two at camp last year.

VN: How do you decide who goes?

GP: During the U.S. racing season (Proctor served as Technical Director to the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclo-cross series), when I was talking to people about the camp, I told everyone that I was looking for the hungriest, most motivated riders. You just can’t be wishy-washy and burned out over here. You put all this investment in money and time to get here, and the level of competition is so high, so competitive, that it can really crush you if you’re not prepared. So the two criteria for selecting people was that I wanted the hungriest riders and I hoped to pick riders who would ultimately make worlds. Personality was important as well. These guys travel together for a week and a half, living in the same house. And I wanted to keep it to twelve – which is just about the right number. We have a pretty good staff over here and any more than twelve riders would have been too much. Speaking of which, I’m indebted to Noel Dejonckheere who runs the U23 US National road program out of the same house where we are in Izegem, West Flanders. The camp benefits from the use of his staff and resources for the most part.

VN: What are the goals of the camp?

GP: Prepare riders for the world championship and give them European experience.

VN: What was the interest level from racers? Did you have to chase riders or were you getting hit up by more people than you could take?

GP: It was balanced. Pretty much everyone I thought would get a lot from the camp was able to come. We also had interest from guys who ultimately couldn’t make it. Troy Well, for example, was gung ho for the camp and is going to worlds, but decided at the last minute he wanted to be someplace warm for Christmas and opted out. Matt White, who came last year, and who is also going to worlds, couldn’t come at Christmas because he has a business he needs to run. So I didn’t really have to say no to anyone. The beauty of controlling the camp is that I can decide who I want to come.

VN: Speaking of controlling the camp -- is it USA Cycling sanctioned or sponsored?

GP: Not really. I mean, I use a lot of USA Cycling resources indirectly because all of Noel’s stuff from USA Cycling. Noel has access to cars, for example, cars say US Postal on the because of the U23 sponsorship. But no, the camp is not organized through my role with USA Cycling. I’m a USA Cycling licensed Elite coach and I’m also the national coach for cyclo-cross for worlds so in some ways the work I do with the camp benefits the work I do with USA Cycling but I organize the camp on my own. I do it because giving these riders this opportunity is something I really believe in. I raced two season of ‘cross here in the early nineties (with the GS Guerciotti team based out of Zurich) and did two world championships and it just was glaringly obvious U.S. riders needed help. As long as our nationals was going to be at a different time than all the European nationals, basically a month earlier, our riders had no opportunity in the six weeks leading up to worlds to prepare for the biggest race of their lives. There’s a real need for this camp and I hope to continue to do it.

VN: You started two years ago? When did you first get the idea?

GP: I’ve had the idea for quite a long time. Then, in the summer of 2003, USA Cycling put together a mentorship program for coaches. I mentored under Noel in his Espoirs program. I spent a month learning the European road scene, driving the car, helping however I could. Part of my agenda when I did that was to see if there was the possibility to work with him to set up something for cyclo-cross. That’s where it really began to blossom.

VN: What are the logistics involved in pulling off the final camp? I mean, you fly over and there is a house here but all the resources you need are not just available for the taking. What’s involved in the planning of the camp?

GP: A lot (laughs). Noel and I are constantly back and forth planning things but it’s not as much work as it could be if I had to do it without his help. I mean, Noel’s got seven cars here. The cars all have racks on them. Right now the guys are all getting massages. We have mechanics working on their bikes as we speak. Noel even has people who can pick people up at the airport when we all fly in on the same day. And then this weekend (the weekend of January 1st, the date of this interview) -- tomorrow we leave at 5am for Switzerland with the Elite riders. The five juniors stay and race a big GVA (there are two big cyclo-cross series in Belgium; the long standing SuperPrestige and the newer Gazet Van Antwerpen series, sponsored by a Belgian daily newspaper) here in Belgium and then a smaller race on Sunday while the rest of us are doing the World Cup in Switzerland on Sunday. The Switzerland group gets back at midnight on Sunday and turns around to do a C2 race on Monday. Logistically, it’s madness. I just spent the whole morning with Noel. It’s a lot of work. I was hoping to get a ride in today.

VN: You probably have to sacrifice your own riding for this?

Yeah. Jesse asked me if I could come riding with them and I said I would love to but yeah, the other stuff has to be done.

VN: How do you pick the races?

GP: It’s interesting; it’s pretty well worked out by the time the camp starts but we try to remain flexible if an opportunity opens up. Juniors, for example, are not allowed to race more than twice in one week in Belgium. You have a little card that the organizers sign when you check in. But they actually haven’t signed them a few times. Every time they don’t sign them, it opens up another racing opportunity. Beyond that, in the nine days we’re here, the juniors will race five times and the Elites will race six. That’s a lot of racing in a short time. Which is out intention -- if you look at the best guys in cyclo-cross, they do an overload period at Christmas, going really, really deep to raise their fitness. Then they rest. Then they have their European nationals in early January. And then they peak at worlds. When I say overload, I’m talking about an intense week and a half of racing.

VN: There’s probably enough opportunity to race nine out of nine days if you wanted to?

GP: You could. It’s one of the beauties of this time of year. Although it all shuts back down to weekends only after January fourth, you can race for a week and half every single day somewhere in the period between Christmas and New Years. In some case, there are a couple of races going on the same day.

VN: There’s the intensity of the amount of training and experience the riders pick up in a short time, but isn’t there also a certain intensity from just being around European competitors and crowds that will help prep riders for worlds?

GP: The sheer excitement and volume of the crowds at some of these races is just incredible. The riders were talking about how they were literally bouncing off the crowds the other day. Just like pinballs, you know. Fifteen thousand people are a lot in a closed circuit like a cyclo-cross course. And nothing stops them. The World Cup on Tuesday was marred by driving snow and rain. It was far from pleasant but the course was six deep and people with umbrellas were huddled all around watching the race. Amazing.

VN: What’s a typical day for a rider over there?

GP: That depends a lot on whether we were racing. Race days involve travel and logistics. We come home and we all have dinner together (One of the major benefits of the riders paying for their time at the camp is that they are treated to a hot dinner every night prepared by Noel Dejonckheere’s wife) then a meeting or something. The non-race days, the days off, are no vacation. I have to catch up on so many things and the guys have to get in their training rides. Today is a day off and we have to have the van packed for Switzerland tonight, the riders are preparing and resting and all the mechanics are scurrying around trying to get the bikes packed and ready to go.

VN: The riders seem to be getting a really organized, almost pro-team lifestyle compared to the typical grind of traveling alone to races, setting up their own bikes, etc.?

GP: It’s a little bit more organized than that what most of them normally experience. When we go to a race, I, as the team coach, I pick up the numbers and sign all the riders in. The mechanics hook their bikes up to the trainer or fiddle with tire pressures. We try to be organized. It’s a little challenging for me because I’m wearing so many more hats than I really can. Unlike at worlds, where my only job is to coach, at races here I double as the pit mechanic for example -- although the mechanics here are fantastic, they don’t know the riders yet and when you’ve got four or five riders coming into the pit on the same lap at the same time you have to know what they look like right away. I’m also acting as coach and driving and doing all sorts of things. I also have to remember to check with medical control to see if any of our guys need to go to anti-doping. Those are the things you don’t want to screw up.

VN: And you’re using vacation time to do this?

GP: Yeah. I teach high school and have a couple of week’s break at Christmas. But it’s great. Its fun and I want to do my part to help American ‘cross. We have some exciting things happening in U.S ‘cross. Jonathan Page is racing over here practically full time. Ryan (Trebon) has a lot of potential. A lot of these guys do. Bjorn (Selander) got fourth yesterday. He’s another guy with incredible potential. He’s the junior national champion and has another year as a junior. I really could see him finishing in the top ten in the world in some of these races.

VN: How much coaching are you doing?

GP: Not a super amount. Most of these guys have their own coaches and in terms of their daily training, they’ve got that all dialed. I’m more of a sounding board after a race, talking tactics and giving tips. A lot of my style is to expose them to something like this and let them process it themselves. It’s more valuable if they learn a lot of these things themselves.

VN: How do you measure success for the camp?

GP: I’ve been thinking about that a lot. There’s been a lot of Internet traffic lately about how success is only measured in results. If you’re not winning the race then it’s a failure – that kind of thing. I would prefer to balance results against the rewards of what these guys learn while they’re here. Certainly, over here, results are what matter. If you didn’t make the podium, you’re not publicly seen as a success. For us though, I measure success based on the two goals we set out up front; do the riders gain experience and do they have success at worlds.

VN: You’ve done two camps now. In what direction would you like to take it in the future?

GP: I think it may expand incrementally. I’m a bit limited by my time off so I don’t know what to say about that. I mean, I would like to expand it. Who knows. It may take on its own new directions. There was a lot of interest from masters, for example.

VN: Sure. That makes sense. Those are guys who potentially could afford to make the venture profitable for you?

GP: It is feasible and I’m sure somebody will do it sometime but again, my interests are with the developing younger Elite riders. I’d like to help some young rider make a life out of cyclo-cross like Noel does with his program on the road; his goal is to get those U23’s to become pros in Europe. People don’t realize that the top ‘cross guys here have a very, very comfortable living. They make good money. And if you could be one of those ten guys... I mean right now, how many guys in the U.S. are making a decent salary in mountain biking? Three or four? I’m hoping that some budding young U.S. ‘cross guys say “I want to be a Sven Nijs.”

VN: For that, they’d get a shorter racing season too?

GP: Yeah but it’s different. In mountain biking, you race something like ten times over eight months. The ‘cross, season is hard; you race forty times in all kinds of conditions. The sport is so intriguing that, to me, it would be worth it.

VN: At first pass, I would think that if USA Cycling just modified the season to line up with the European ‘cross calendar, U.S. riders would be able to stay fit for worlds without sacrificing other goals. But if we did make that change, they might not get the same European experience they need to be competitive in worlds?

GP: True. I’ve been told the same thing for ten or fifteen years. The UCI wants us to move our national championship to the standard date (second weekend in January) but from my point of view, the way it’s scheduled now is perfect. We do our nationals in December then those who really aspire to go on to the next level are free to pursue it. (Interrupted by call to Proctor from Jonathan Page)

VN: JP hooks up with you guys for races?

GP: In the World Cups, as the U.S. National Team coach, I have to register him, he can’t do it himself. It was tricky the other day because I didn’t have the address where he was staying. You have to provide it to medical control. If they want to test you in the morning, you have to be home. That was him calling with his location for Sunday’s race. It’s great to have him there. He’s a great role model for the guys.

VN: We were just talking about the idea of moving the national championship into the dead time?

GP: Right. I don’t know what’s going to happen with that. I know that they’ll get pressure to do it but right now, in our country, there’s not a lot of interest in putting on races around Christmas to extend our season. Noel says ‘why don’t you guys have a big race on Thanksgiving? Then you could have a race the Sunday before and the Sunday after and you’d have three big races in one week?’ I don’t think people would come out for a ‘cross race on thanksgiving. It’s just not part of our culture. Where as here (in Europe), we race on Christmas and New Year’s Day. Then again, I’ve got twelve riders here that sacrificed their Christmas time to be here so who really knows.

VN: Out of the guys you have there and the others who qualified for worlds, who has the best chance for a good result at worlds?

GP: I think our best chance for a championship is in the women’s race. Ann Knapp has a fourth and a fifth already at worlds, she knows how to prepare herself and is a super rider. The circuit is pretty hill and that will favor her. That’s not to say that Jonathan or Ryan won’t be in there. They’ve had some great races this year and given themselves some great opportunities. I’m optimistic about the juniors and U23's too. It’s a matter of hitting it on the day.

VN: I’m curious about the financial part of your camp – you’ve said the riders cover their transportation costs. What other financial contribution do riders make?

GP: They pay a daily fee for all the things Noel provides. This is another thing we haven’t talked about but the trip usually works out well financially for the riders. Noel and I just settled up the money and Erik Tonkin, for instance, who has done every race so far, will essentially only pay his airfare. His start money at all these races has covered his expenses. That equates to an $800 investment for two weeks in Europe. These guys are getting very good start money at the World Cups. Even the juniors. Even the smaller races are paying something in start money. It’s very foreign to the American riders. In America, we pay $40 to race. Ryan was telling me that a short-track race costs $60 -- for 20 minutes. Riders in Europe could not fathom paying for races. As for me, I don’t make any money at it. I ask the riders to cover my airfare and that’s all.

VN: You’re a full time teacher (creative writing and English at Helena High School), a coach, member of the USGP promotion team, the U.S. National Team coach for worlds and you put on the camp; when exactly do you sleep?

GP: (Laughs). When I come home after camp, it’s time to chill out a little. It’s been a very busy fall. But worth it – being part of the USGP meant I got to see all the riders in advance of planning for camp. The camp may seem like a lot of work, and it is, but it has its rewards. Seeing these guys do well has been awesome. Being able to bring my family (wife Nadia and boys Atticus (9) and Andriy (6) came with Proctor to Europe) this year (they missed the trip last year) was really nice. Especially for the boys. Before they came over here they were really into pro football -- Seattle Seahawks mostly. To see them go to a ‘cross race where there’s fifteen, twenty thousand people and get that ‘wow’ look on their face.

VN: Maybe you’ll get them out there riding and racing soon?

GP: Who knows. There was this one eight year old ripping around the course the other day. He had a little ‘cross bike. I mean, he was smaller than my nine year old, and my nine year old is pretty small, and he was just ripping around. All I could think was, yeah, that explains why those guys are so good. Totally.

MINI PROFILE:
Cyclo-cross: Learned the ropes in Europe in the early 90's racingcyclo-cross for GS Guerciotti based in Zurich; 3-time Team USA member forworld cyclo-cross champs in Corva, IT (93), Koksijde, BE (94), and Montreuil-Paris(96); Silver medalist this year in 45-49 Masters Nats Cyclo-cross in Portland(Steve Tilford took gold)
Full-time job: English Teacher, Helena High School
Coaching: USAC elite level Coach; National Team Coach Zolder,BE (02), Monopoli, IT (03), St. Wendel (05)
Promoter and Organizer: Director-Euro Cross Camps I & II;Technical Director, U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclo-cross Series
Family: Happily married to Nadia with two boys, Atticus (9)and Andriy (6).