Russell Van Hout
David Pell
Joel Pearson
Craig McCartney
Adrian Laidler
Will Dickeson
Chris Luxton
Brad Edmunds
Tim Roe
Russell Gill
Tom Middleton
Peter Mueller
Simon Pearson
Stephen Cunningham
Patrick Jonker
Michelle Cunningham
Luciene Keene
Billy Chow
Leigh Schneebichler
Dr Peter Paeschke
Kristen Lewis
Tania Lewis
Brett Aitken
Date of birth: 25 January 1971
Born: Adelaide
Lives: Adelaide
Weight: 65kg
Height: 1.73m
Occupation: Accounts Manager and Partner of JT Cycles
Other facts and figures
I have the record for the highest VO2 max ever recorded at the AIS in any sport: 93.9 ml/kg/min.
Someone you look up to: Anyone that deals with adversity and overcomes it with will, desire and a never-give-in attitude.
Favourite music: Enya
Favourite TV show/film: I enjoy inspirational movies like Phenomenon, Rocky, A Beautiful Mind and Gattaca. I don't mind a bit of science fiction either.
Favourite food: My mum's chop suey.
Favourite Saying / motto: "I don't look for gaps, I make them."
Cycling history and achievements
Club: Adelaide Cycling Club
Professional team: Savings & Loans
Bike: Avanti Team Quantum
Fastest speed clocked on a bike: 100km/hr going down Old Coach Road when I was 16.
Longest distance on a bike: I clocked up 295km in training with the AIS in Mexico.
Career highlights: Picking up Gold in the Madison at the 2000 Olympics was one of the best moments of my life. Winning the 1993 World Championship for the team pursuit and breaking a world record at the same time was pretty awesome too!
Other career hi-lights include:
1989, 2000 - Australian Cyclist of the Year
2000 - South Australian Sports Star of the Year
2001 - Order of Australia Medal
World Championships – 1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze
Olympic Games – 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze
Commonwealth Games - 2 Gold, 1 Silver
2003 – National Road Series Winner
2 x Winner Bay Series Cycling Classic
Ambitions for 2008: Win the Australian National Road Series. I would also like to have a really good crack at the Herald Sun Tour and pick up stage wins at other International Events during the year.
How many hours a week would you ride? 20 to 30 during full training.
What does that equate to in distance? 600 to 900 kilometres
What's the most important thing to you when preparing for a race? Staying rested and eating properly. It’s a bit of a cliché, but a lot of it comes down to doing a little bit more than the other racers.
go to top.Russell van Hout
Date of Birth: 15 July 1976
Born: Adelaide
Weight: 70 kg
Height: 1.78m
Occupation: Professional cyclist
Other facts and figures
Someone you look up to: I like Lleyton Hewitt’s aggression and desire to win all the time. Lance Armstrong is the best Tour de France cyclist ever and someone I admire immensely.
Favourite music: I collect music. What I listen to depends on my mood but I’m into every type of music.
Favourite TV show/film: I like all the Quentin Tarantino movies and I don’t mind a bit of Jim Carrey.
Favourite food: Pizza
Cycling history and achievements
Club: Adelaide Cycling Club
Professional team: Savings & Loans
Fastest speed clocked on a bike: I clocked 100km/hr in the Victor Harbor stage of the 2003 Tour Down Under. I’ve been over 100km a couple of times, but it’s never been recorded.
Longest distance on a bike: I raced in the 300km Melbourne to Warnambool last year. It’s actually the longest race in the world now. It used to be shorter but they made it longer this year. I finished fourth in that race.
Career highlights: Becoming the Australian Open Road Champion in 2006 and winning a stage in the 2006 Tour Down Under. Riding in the Giro d’Italia twice (2004 and 2005) and getting an eighth place in one of the time trials. Being 2005 and 2006 South Australian champion and winning three bronze medals in the National Time Trials (2000, 2001, 2005) are a couple of other big achievements.
Ambitions for 2008: My aim is to achieve a podium result at the Herald Sun Tour in October. Also to increase national competition leading up to that event and support the team sprinters.
David Pell
Date of birth: 09/06/1980
Born: Bendigo
Lives: Bendigo Victoria
Weight: 71kg
Height: 176cm
Occupation: Cyclist
Other facts and figures
Someone you look up to: those who have had to do it the hard way, but keep on doing it.
Favourite music: variety, all sorts
Favourite TV show/film: House
Favourite food: Anything made at home
Favourite Saying / motto: carpe diem
Cycling history and achievements
Club: Bendigo
Professional team: 2008/07 Savings and loans, 2003 Comnet senges, 2002 Mapei aqua u/23
Bike: Avanti Corsa
Fastest speed clocked on a bike: 115km/h
Longest distance on a bike: 306km
Career highlights / results: 2nd stage 1 Herald sun tour 2.1 uci 2007
3rdTour of Wellington overall, 3 top 3 placings on stages and Overall winner sprint competition uci 2.2 2008
3rd Australian Road time trial title 2007
Stage win tour of Wellington 2007 and overall king of the mountain title uci 2.2
11th overall Herald sun tour 2007 most Aggressive rider stage 1
Ambitions for 2008: To improve on my previous years and keep enjoying what I am doing.
How many hours a week would you ride? 20-30 hours
What does that equate to in distance? 600-1000km
What's the most important thing to you when preparing for a race? To know I have done everything in my control to be in the best physical and mental condition.
Joel Pearson
Date of birth: 21 march 1983
Born: Wollongong NSW
Lives: St Kilda, Victoria
Weight: 75kg
Height: 180cm
Occupation: Cyclist
Other facts and figures
Someone you look up to: My Dad
Favourite music: Bit of everything
Favourite TV show/film: Favourite food: Boogie Nights and a good pizza
Favourite Saying / motto: Happy days
Cycling history and achievements
Club: Eurobodalla
Professional team: Savings and Loans
Bike: Avanti
Fastest speed clocked on a bike: 104km/h
Longest distance on a bike: 300km
Career highlights / results: 1st stage 4-Tour de Dordogne (France), Victorian 100km Champion 2003, Green Jersey Tour of Southland 2003, 2nd GP Dourges Henin Beaumont (France) 12th Paris-Roubaix espoirs (France)
Ambitions for 2008: To achieve as a team with Savings and Loans
How many hours a week would you ride? 20-25
What does that equate to in distance? Don’t count
What's the most important thing to you when preparing for a race? Pre-race meal
Craig McCartney
Date of birth: 30th September 1980
Born: Sydney, NSW AUSTRALIA
Lives: Geelong VIC AUSTRALIA
Weight: 70kg
Height: 178cm
Occupation: Cyclist / Bike Industry
Other facts and figures
Someone you look up to: Those that have achieved the pinnacle in sport and business.
TV: Half Men, Deadlist Catch
Food: Mexican, Thai, Italian
Cycling history and achievements
Club: Footscray Cycling Club
Professional team: Savings & Loans Continental Cycling Team
Bike: Avanti Team Quantum
Fastest speed clocked on a bike: 100km/hr, Descending off Mountain Range surrounding Lake Tahoe, Nevada USA
Longest distance on a bike: 275km Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic
Career highlights / results:
2nd GC Tour of Wellington, (UCI 2.2) Wellington NZ
1st Phil Anderson Criterium Classic, Apollo Bay VIC
1st Stage 2 Tour of Canberra, Canberra ACT
14th GC Tour de Beauce, (UCI 2.2) Quebec CAN
3rd Jayco Herald Sun Criterium Classic, Bendigo AUS
Ambitions for 2008: To achieve results for the team while helping the younger riders develop and continue the experience the lifestyle provides.
How many hours a week would you ride? 15 - 30 hours depending on the period in the season.
What does that equate to in distance? 400km to 850 – 900km
What's the most important thing to you when preparing for a race? Putting in the necessary training, diet, lifestyle and rest.
Adrian Laidler
Date of birth: 31 March 1981
Born: Adelaide
Lives: Adelaide
Weight: 73kg
Height: 1.84cm / 6ft
Occupation: Professional cyclist? Forklift driver/labourer
Other facts and figures
Someone you look up to:
Allan Smith and Ian McKenzie, both of whom had influential roles as mentors early on in my career and helped to make me the rider I am now.
Ian has probably the most successful career with athletes under his guidance, winning Olympic, world and national titles regularly. Allan unfortunately passed away in 2002 but always remains a big part of my life.
Favourite music: Dance, trance, house anthems also some classic rock like AC/DC, Metallica and Nirvana.
Favourite TV show/film: CSI and The Matrix
Favourite food: Pizza
Cycling history and achievements
Club: Adelaide Cycling Club
Professional team: Savings & Loans
Bike: Avanti
Fastest speed clocked on a bike: I clocked 100km/hr in the Tour Down Under going down the hill in Victor Harbor.
Longest distance on a bike: 256km in the US PRO Championship.
Career highlights:
National Title 2003
World Championships U/19 Verona Italy
4 years Australian Sports Institute
3 years Mapei / Australian National Cycling Team
2003 1st National Time Trial Championship U/23
2003 Most aggressive rider stage 4 Tour Down Under
2004 1st Team classification TDU
1st KOM GP Artigiani ( Italy ) 2002
1st Stranieri Gp Artigiani ( Italy ) 2002
1st in Stage 1 of the Herald Sun Tour 2005
Ambitions for 2008: To ride a full season of the national road program and help my fellow team members achieve great results.
How many hours a week would you ride? 20 to 30 hours during a big training block.
What does that equate to in kilometres? 700 - 900km
What's the most important thing to you when preparing for a race? Knowledge, preparation and training.
Will Dickeson
Date of birth: 26-3-83
Born: Clare valley
Lives: Adelaide (Warradale)
Weight: 72kg
Height: 182cm
Occupation: Part time at JT Cycles Brighton
Other facts and figures
Someone you look up to:
Anyone who is prepared to go against the trend for something they believe in.
Favourite music: Rock, Dance, Punk and .......... country music.
Favourite TV show: Underbelly, Simpsons, Top Gear, Drawn Together, House, Lost, Footy, Burn Notice, South Park. I really like watching TV.
Favourite food: BBQ, Pasta, Gnocchi, Risotto, Pizza, Donuts. I really like food too.
Favourite Saying / motto: At the end of each day, be able to list something important that you have achieved.
Cycling history and achievements
Club: Sturt Marion Holdfast Cycling Club
Professional team: Savings and Loans Cycling team
Bike: Avanti Team Quantum road bike and Avanti Pista track bike
Fastest speed clocked on a bike: 99.2km/h during Tour De Beauce in Canada
Longest distance on a bike: 230km
Career highlights / results:
4th 2007 Oceania Championships
2 stages in leaders jersey 2006 Tour of Gippsland
King of the Mountains winner 2007 Tour of Coleraine
Stage win 2006 Tour of Mersey Valley
1st 2007 Peter Stevens memorial race
Ambitions for 2008: To win a stage of a UCI category race and to help the team to a big result in the Herald Sun Tour.
How many hours a week would you ride? 20-25
What does that equate to in distance? 500-700km depending on the time of year.
What's the most important thing to you when preparing for a race? Making sure I've eaten properly and that my bike is primed.
Chris Luxton
Date of birth: 8-5-1975
Born: Mount Gambier, South Australia
Lives: Adelaide, South Australia
Weight: 59kg
Height: 167cm
Occupation: Bricklayer
Other facts and figures
Someone you look up to: Secretly Brett Aitken
Favourite music: ACDC and anything fast
Favourite TV show/film: Seinfeld, LOST Favourite food: Chocolate!
Favourite Saying / motto: Winners make it happen, losers let it happen
Cycling history and achievements
Club: Norwood
Professional team: Savings and Loans
Bike: Avanti Corsa
Fastest speed clocked on a bike: 99kph as that is all the speedo went too!
Longest distance on a bike: 282km
Career highlights / results:
Four stage wins Tour of Thailand 1999,
3rd in a stage of the Tour of Wellington and 7th GC in 2008
Twice South Australian Criterium Champion
Ambitions for 2008: To race the Tour de Beuce in Canada and criteriums in America, Sun Tour and Melbourne to Warnambool
How many hours a week would you ride? 18-20 hours
What does that equate to in distance? 400-600kms
What's the most important thing to you when preparing for a race? My ipod
Brad Edmunds
Date of birth: 22/08/1982
Born: Bacchus Marsh (vic)
Lives: Echuca (vic)
Weight: 74kgs
Height: 181cms
Occupation: Cyclist
Other facts and figures
Someone you look up to: Jan Ulrich- Craig Mottram
Favourite music: Anything with a beat- Hard and fast, Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Favourite TV show/film: Simpson’s
Favourite food: Lollies, Fish
Favourite Saying / motto: If you’re big enough to go out and play. You’re big enough to get up the next day. / Use every opportunity. There may not be another one
Cycling history and achievements
Club: Echuca/Moama Cycling Club
Professional team: Savings & Loans
Bike: Avanti
Fastest speed clocked on a bike: 102kph Fitchburg (usa)
Longest distance on a bike: 310kms Melb-Warnie
Career highlights / results: Martiuges-France First.. Aust Crit Champs second… Stage win New Caledonia. Riding for Aust. Junior
Ambitions for 2008: Bendigo Madison- America- Sun tour- Melb to Warnie
How many hours a week would you ride? 20-30hrs
What does that equate to in distance? 400-800kms
What's the most important thing to you when preparing for a race? Is to do the training and recover for the race.. set goals and targets.
Tim Roe
Date of birth: 28/10/89
Born: Glenelg
Lives: Hallett Cove
Weight: 62kg
Height: 179cm
Other facts and figures
Someone you look up to: Cadel Evans
Favourite music: Bit of everything
Favourite TV show/film: Simpson’s / Ali G
Favourite food: Steak / pizza
Favourite Saying / motto: "If you want it, go get it"
Cycling history and achievements
Club: Norwood Cycling Club
Professional team: Savings and Loans
Bike: Avanti Quantum and Avanti Chrono Time Trial bike.
Fastest speed clocked on a bike: 88km/h
Longest distance on a bike: 207km
Career highlights / results: 3rd National under 19’s pairs Time trial. 1st under 19 Centrals Districts junior tour 2007 (NRS). 11th Tour of Tasmania. 2nd 2008 Open State Road Championships. 2nd Holdfast Bay Criterium 2007.
Ambitions for 2008: Sun Tour. Win a National round. Race overseas.
How many hours a week would you ride? 20-30hrs
What does that equate to in distance? 500-850km
What's the most important thing to you when preparing for a race? Eat pasta and lots of it. Clean bike.
Russell Gill
Date of birth: 13/05/1987
Born: Adelaide
Lives: Adelaide Hills
Weight: 66kg
Height: 178cm
Occupation: Bike Rider/Mechanic
Other facts and figures
Someone you look up to: My dad for his own cycling success.
Favourite music: Dance music
Favourite TV show/film: Favourite food: Seinfeld & pasta & garlic bread
Favourite Saying / motto: "Just like Regency"
Cycling history and achievements
Club: Norwood Cycling Club
Professional team: Savings & Loans
Bike: Avanti Quantum Team
Fastest speed clocked on a bike: 104 kmph
Longest distance on a bike: 230km
Career highlights / results: U23 National Criterium Champion (2007)
Ambitions for 2008: Success at Grafton in September
How many hours a week would you ride? 21-24 hours per week
What does that equate to in distance? 600-700km average
What's the most important thing to you when preparing for a race?
A good breakfast and making sure my bike is race ready.
The founder of the Savings & Loans Cycling Team, Stephen had the vision to assemble the first Australian-based professional team. Stephen is an accomplished cyclist whose major achievements are: 5 x competing in the Tour Down Under and part of the winning team in the 2004. 7 x Herald Sun Tour including a stage win, 2 x Australian Open Sprint Champion and 5th in the Australian Open Road Championships in 2001.
Stephen’s objectives for the team are to continue to lift the profile of competitive and social cycling in this country through the combined approach of corporate sponsorship and success at the highest level of competition.
Stephen has his sights set high for the team in 2008 with another strong performance expected at the Herald Sun Tour and to dominate the National Road Series. The team also aims to broaded it’s offshore program by successfully competing through the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Asia.
With continued expansion, now including talented riders thoughout Australias, Stephen believes the Savings & Loans Cycling team has the potential to build and become a world class team in years to come. “We will continue to expand and continue to raise the bar in our performance expectations”
Patrick has travelled the world on a pushbike, living and breathing cycling for most of his life. A five times Tour de France competitor (12th overall in 1996), Patrick has also represented Australia at the Olympics (coming eighth in the Barcelona Games) and Commonwealth Games.
A bittersweet memory for many cycling enthusiasts is Patrick leading his team to victory in the 2004 Tour Down Under and announcing his retirement from the sport.
Patrick continues to be heavily involved in cycling and plays a key role in the Savings & Loans Cycling Team, mentoring cyclists and sharing his experiences with the riders. He would like to see the team gain a place in the 2008 Tour Down Under and believes the team has the right mix of riders to be a top-class professional team on the world stage.
"The Savings & Loans Cycling Team is made up of the best riders in Australia including evergreen Brett Aitken, Russell Van Hout, David Pell and Joel Pearson. I amd also please to see our objective in creating one of the fastest teams in Australia with 4 pure sprinters working together to achieve great things this year. All of these cyclists have demonstrated their abilities on the international stage and I'm really excited to see this group, together with the supporting riders continue to build and succeed in 2008.”
Founder and Director of Life Personal Trainers, a boutique personal training company also providing dietary, remedial massage and corporate fitness services
Former SA Road Cycling Champion and U23 Australian Road Cycling Champion
Have been involved in road cycling for 15+ years and the primary role within the Savigns & Loans Cycling Team is one of a ‘team mentor’ in a range of different areas;
Assisting the team with training programs, strength and conditioning, cycling technique and racing tactic.
Talking with younger riders on developing their life ‘outside of cycling’ in parallel with their cycling career so they have a range of options to pursue later in life.
Kristen really enjoys being involved with a group of highly motivated people and feels privileged to be able to contribute towards them bettering themselves and working towards team goals.
Tanya is an Accredited Practising Dietitian Qualified Sports Dietitian and Personal Trainer. She has a background in national level cycling events and is former junior state champion in road and track events. Tanya believes the value of good sports nutrition and knows firsthand how important sports nutrition is to fueling top performance.
Tanya has worked with North Adelaide Football club and a number of SASI athletes from different sports, she sits on the board of Sports Dietitians Australia and is a council member for Sports Medicine Australia.
Currently Tanya enjoys cycling to keep fit and enjoy the outdoors, as well as cycling, Tanya enjoys running, swimming and boxing.
Luciene has travelled through South East asia, Europe and the United States with his profession as a mechanic and worked with Avanti Plus in both Australia and NZ. Luciene’s best experiences as a team mechanic has been watching ‘Pelly’ attack riders such as Baden Cooke to set himself up for second in the first stage of the Herald Sun Tour in 2007 as well as watching his team mates totally exhausting themselves breakaways day after day. Lucienes favorite thing about the sport is driving in the team car, tearing down a windy descent behind the peleton with white knuckles while hearing Pat tell Steve to get of the brakes! Luciene also enjoys putting together the perfect bike and making sure all riders have the best chance possible for a result.