"I missed nearly two full seasons just with racing on and off. But this year I did not have any injuries that stopped me from training or racing."
As a result, he was able to produce some top performances for Orica-GreenEdge, including a stage win at the Giro d'Italia during the team time trial event.
"That was the highlight of my career outside of the Olympics and it was my first professional win."
He was rewarded for his form in October when Orica-GreenEdge offered him a two-year deal. "The last couple of years I have been on one-year deals, so to sign for two years is sort of a testament to how I'm going."
Bewley has won two bronze medals at the Olympics, as a track cyclist, but said he did not have plans to go back to the track discipline anytime soon.
"I spoke to the coach in Cambridge [during the UCI Track Cycling World Cup event recently] and he had some pretty tantalising offers but I want to focus on the next part of my career and try and get to the Tour de France in the next year or two."
Bewley said he was down to race the Giro d'Italia again in May and he wanted to race at the Tour de France within the next couple of seasons. He is also an outside chance to go the Olympics next year as a road cyclist but New Zealand have very few spots.
Bewley said he felt he was developing well as a rider and was currently coached by fellow Rotorua cyclist Julian Dean, who also works with Orica-GreenEdge.
"I'm starting to become a bit of an all-rounder. Obviously I'm a tall guy so I don't climb as good as those guys that weigh 55kg, but I'm starting to climb pretty well for my size and I'm good in the lead outs for the sprints," he said.
"I'm not really a master at either of those two things [sprinting or climbing] but good enough to be considered an all-rounder I think, and help out in a few different aspects in races.
"And I think in a grand tour that can help. I can help on the flat stages and help on the mountain stages as well."
Bewley will race in the Big Save Elite Road National Championships in Napier early next month, and finished fourth at the 2015 event.
Bewley has been part of the Orica-GreenEdge team since it was established in 2012.
Video features Rotorua riders
Rotorua cyclists Julian Dean and Sam Bewley will star in a new video created by the Orica-GreenEdge cycling team.
Orica-GreenEdge have a huge following on social media and boast more than a million views on some of their Youtube videos.
A representative from the team travelled to the city this week to make a video about Bewley (team rider) and Dean (team coach).
Dean and Bewley visited plenty of local attractions during the making of the video including Skyline, Canopy Tours, and Rotorua Rafting.
