College Sport: Fouche hits Year 13 at full speed

Champion St Kent’s cyclist wants to maintain his pace in the seniors next year

James Fouche pulled off one of the school sporting feats of the year in September.

The 16-year-old Year 12 St Kentigern College student blitzed the field to seize the national schools individual cycling championship in Auckland. And he did it in some style, winning the time trial, hill climb and criterium, the first New Zealand schoolboy to win all three disciplines at this event.

In particular, Fouche's dominant display in the criterium, which he won by a staggering 30 seconds, turned heads. One witness said it was one of those rare occurrences when you are almost certain you have just watched a new Kiwi sports star.

"The hill climb and the time trial were probably the best day [of 2014], but I wasn't really expecting the criterium. I attacked on the third lap, and I thought someone would come with me, but no one did," recalls Fouche.

The racing in Mt Wellington drew a large crowd and they were suitably impressed with the young rider.

"Usually the criterium is fast and hard. You expect attacks to go the whole time and for people to follow," said Fouche.

He is one of five in the gun St Kentigern Senior A cycling team, which cleaned up in the Auckland schools team trial series with a new record. They are marshalled by coach Rick Faulding, though Fouche also has his own individual coach in Patrick Harvey, with whom he will be working this weekend at a training camp in Wanaka.

"We [St Kentigern] work as a team. We each take turns at the front. If someone's not feeling as strong, they might miss a lead, or if you are feeling good, you might take an extra lead."

They all knew the nationals course well, having trained a lot there during the year. Fouche rides his bike to school, though that is sometimes more an exercise in avoiding traffic rather than thinking about technique.

Fouche was technically an Under 17 rider for most of the year in age groups, but he moves up to seniors next year and everyone will know who he is.

He missed out on the cycling award at the ASB Young Sportsperson of the Year night to Takapuna Grammar's Harry Elworthy, a senior, Under 19 road racer.

Fouche used to play rugby but gave it away to focus on cycling. Don't think he gets away uninjured, though. He banged up his shoulder in a crash in Pt England just this year.

Of his mental approach: "I try to be relaxed. I watch previous races and then when I'm in the warm-up I get in the zone. You have to make up tactics when you are out there and adapt to what's happening. You're lucky if it all goes to plan."

So you cannot be too inflexible or preconceived in your road race planning.

Fouche has three bikes - for road, track and mountain. The latter he sees as a recreational pursuit with his mates.

"I see myself as a road cyclist that does a bit of track racing once a week," he says.

That may sound relaxed, but he is already in the national Under 17 development squad, so the powers that be in Bike NZ know what he is about. His long-term goals are set.

"I'd love to represent New Zealand and ride the Tour de France. That would be cool. I watch it every year," says Fouche of the iconic and compelling race which holds his attention through July.

This is the final College Sport for 2014. We will resume in mid-February 2015.