British rider Jake Stewart is targeting stage wins at the Tour de France after quickly shedding his ‘imposter syndrome’ doubts.
The 25-year-old is riding in his second Tour following his debut at cycling’s showpiece stage race a year ago.
It follows a great month for the Coventry rider who sprinted to his first World Tour race win at the Criterium du Dauphine and then signed a new three-year deal with the Israel-Premier Tech team.
“A year ago I’d have probably said winning a stage at the Tour de France was maybe unrealistic,” he told BBC CWR.
“Anything can happen in the Tour de France, so it’s never out of shot, but this year I certainly feel I’ve consolidated in my ability to win bike races.
“I’d say trying to win a stage at the Tour de France in the next three years is a realistic goal and it’s something I want to try and achieve.”
Stewart now carries the weighty responsibility of navigating team-mate Pascal Ackermann into prime position in the sprint for stage wins.
However, he was not so sure of his status in the peloton when lining up as a rookie on his Tour debut.
“Certainly last year there was a bit of imposter syndrome,” he said.
“It was the first time I was really getting involved in the bunch sprints and it was my first Tour de France.
“I knew I had a job to do and I wasn’t afraid to get the elbows out, but it’s always in the back of your mind ‘should I really be getting involved here?’, whereas this year, certainly in the peloton, I’m recognised as that lead-out guy.
“Ackermann has won so many bike races and stages in the Giro and Vuelta, so being in front of him has given me more freedom to get involved, and this year there’s not that imposter syndrome there.”
Now competing at the sharp end of the world’s biggest bike race, Stewart is thankful for the chance and mindful of how he came to be there.
“Cycling is a very inaccessible sport in certain contexts,” he added.
“Certainly now it’s getting more and more expensive, so for less privileged families to provide for their kids when they’re racing is probably difficult.
“I haven’t come from a background where I’ve grown up with a lot of money so I guess it keeps you humble when you make it on the big stage.”
