From Davitamon-Lotto to Toyota-United... Australia's Henk Vogels tell's us more

By Brian C. Grenier

Henk Vogels has been one of Australia's most successful road cyclists and is now a member of Toyota-United Professional Cycling Team. With an exciting career including participation in the Tour de France, Olympics, top 10 finishes in such European Classics as Paris-Roubaix, Paris-Tours and Gent-Wevelgem, a Commonwealth Games gold medal, US Pro Championship, Australian National Road Champion and perhaps the biggest achievement, coming back from a near fatal crash to make a successful return to European racing. Henk is a superb role model for not just cyclists, but for anyone who has realized major setbacks due to injury or illness!

Henk was up in the hills of sunny California this past two weeks working out with his Toyota-United Pro squad in preparation for the 2007 US Domestic Pro season.  Henk intends to ride with the squad in the prestigious Tour of California, the arduous Tour de Georgia and a host of other races that team management has selected.

Even though the days were quite full of events, Henk took the time to talk to us and share his vision for the next year.

How are things going out there?

Things are going well - I am taking a day off today to get in a little recovery. We did a pretty hard ride in the rain yesterday and it was on a new bike that I am trying to get used to, so I felt with all that I needed a little recovery, but yeah, things are going GREAT!

This is your first year at Toyota-United, can you tell our readers where you came from before then?

Well, I was on Davitaman-Lotto last two years working the Giro and the classics which is big in Europe. I also did two years with the Navigators riding with them so I have been around! I have a lot of friends here like Burke and Chris Wherry so it is good to be back riding with my friends.

How did you get involved in cycling way back before all your current success?

That goes way back to '91-'92 when I was racing in Australia where I competed in some of my first races! In '97 I was named the Australian cyclist of the year as well as the male road cyclist of the year - there has been so much success and so much work!

  What brought you to Toyota United?

Last year at the Tour de Georgia I was racing for Davitamon-Lotto and I saw the guys from United. They seemed to have things wrapped tight and I liked what I saw.  I liked the way the team was set up and the way Sean Tucker ran the team as well as Harm Jansen's direction. They were having a lot of success and I had friends here. I had spent one half my career racing in Europe which was good but I also like it here in America - and this team is managed superbly so I came over!

What do you see as some of the big differences between the European scene and the America scene?

First off, in Europe you defiantly have a bigger depth of talent and the overall field is bigger for sure! In Europe there is also a more international flavor to the peloton and that is something that you don't see in American peloton's. Here in the US things are growing for sure but that depth just isn't there yet. There are a lot of good guys here but in the end there are the usual suspects going for the finish line. In Europe the fields is strong and different at every race!

What is it like being on a pro team like Toyota-United?

Ha, it isn’t a bed of roses - it is a lot of hard work for sure. But with that said, for sure it is great when one can make a living out of it. But there is the other side of it, the thousands of kilometers that you have to put in to just get ready to race. Then there is the fact in Professional cycling that you are only as good as your last race - so that makes it hard to stay on top and in the limelight. It is hard to become a professional cyclist but it is even harder to stay there with the competition constantly improving. It is a good life to be part of for sure and when the season is over and you look back you realize just how lucky you are. Conversely though, it is a long season and to stay in top shape for the season is taxing on the body. It’s a good life but by no means easy!

What is the training like at the professional level?

It is pretty demanding - look, you have 65 days of racing a year - it's difficult for sure, but to stay at that level you need to be training at about 800 kilometers a week. You have your rest weeks for sure but you also have to be racing and hurting yourself all the time to stay there!

How do you see nutrition playing in racing and also recovery?

Nutrition is very important you can’t be carrying a few extra kilos around and expect to win. You have to be fit and light, skinny - you really have to be looking after your shop. You have to be eating foods that fuel what you are doing and supplying nutrition but not adding the extra kilos. So for me I am sorta big and not a climber so I don't have to watch my weight too much but it all matters.

I have asked everyone this one but the team looks just unstoppable on paper, just unreal, but how do you see it shaking out on the ground?

There is a big difference in the guys at the camp - some are on, others no so, but we have done a lot over the past days. Some guys are tip-top for the Tour of California without a doubt. The season is long so we all come along at different times, but overall we are ready and have done a lot of riding here at camp. Plus with guys like Dominguez we have a great shot at some stage wins at the Tour of California. The guys lean, he has road maps all over his body lean-lean! But again, it is a long season and every rider will have his time! I gotta say, I am stoked to be on this team - this is an awesome place to be and we have some great things coming in the future!