Share A Brew With…Taylor Gunman

By Astrid van Uden – @AstridvanUden? Taylor Gunman has overcome the much talked about challenge of climbing up Coronet Peak at the Tour of Southland this week, netting his first stage win in his new orange kit. The 22 year old from the North Shore in Auckland has recently announced that he will race for the Huon Genesys Wealth Advisors team in 2014 and has started his campaign on a high this week in Invercargill. Gunman is enjoying racing in a team environment in Southland with his new teammates and says that the focus and goals are different to what he experienced while racing internationally this year. ?It has been great riding with the guys, I wasn?t really in a team environment while I was away this year, it was more of an ?every man for himself? approach,? said Gunman, ?So having team mates who are prepared to work for the bigger picture is a nice change.? Huon Genesys recently announced that it is taking on five new riders for the 2014 season, Gunman being the only new rider who does not hail from Australia. Gunman spent this year racing out of Belgium for the Terra Footwear Bicycle Line team but never quite felt like Europe was the place for him to be to develop his talent as a rider. ?Belgium didn?t exactly suit me as a rider,? explains Gunman, ?I?m anything but a sprinter however I have come away a lot smarter and stronger on the bike. I had to learn to be a little bit more competitive on the bike.? By joining Huon Genesys, Gunman would like to see himself grow as a cyclist and knows that the team has a reputation for graduating riders to the Pro Tour. Five riders have made the move from Huon Genesys to the Pro Tour including Nathan Earle who has signed to race for Team Sky as a Neo Pro in 2014. ?I would love to get back to winning races,? said Gunman a mere 24 hours before his stage win at the Tour of Southland, ?Genesys have a pedigree of turning riders pro, over the first four days of Southland I have already learnt more from working with Andrew and the team.? Taylor will be involved in a squad who this year raced in the Australian NRS races as well as competing at the Tour of Thailand and Tour of Borneo in South East Asia. ?A team camp in December will begin the 2014 campaign, where Gunman will be able to base himself at his home in Auckland, travelling to and from Australia for races. ?Europe is great and it?s the heart of cycling but it?s a long way from home,? said Gunman, ?with Australia always improving their standard of racing, why travel half way around the world when you can get equally hard racing that?s well structured in Australia.? ?You still have to be a very good rider to win in Australia.? New Zealand has seen great successes in 2013 on the Australian circuit with Joseph Cooper winning the Tour of Perth while racing for Huon Genesys and Sam Horgan had an exceptional 2013 with Team Budget Forklifts. Could Gunman be the next Kiwi success story to come out of Australia? ?I?m really excited to be joining Genesys for 2014, their reputation is well known and formidable and to be a part of the squad next year is exciting but also motivating.? Of racing with the team in the Tour of Southland Gunman says: ?the support has been great so far, I am looking forward to racing with the boys in their home of Australia.?