Introducing: Chelsie Tan

Chelsie Tan is on a mission to discover her full potential as a professional cyclist with a one-year contract to race with Team BikeExchange-Jayco for 2022. 

A member of the Singapore National Team, Tan has a strong background in sport, growing up competing in netball, dragon boat racing, and triathlon's pinnacle - Ironman.

Tan says that her 45kg frame is perfect for rolling terrain and that her extensive time spent in the gym lifting weights has given way to an explosive sprint on a punchy parcours.

Now living full-time in Girona, Spain, Tan has joined her teammates at two pre-season training camps and is motivated to begin her season with BikeExchange-Jayco at the classics.

Cyclingnews: You recently signed your first contract to race with a UCI team with BikeExchange-Jayco. Congratulations, could you tell us about this big step in your career?

Chelsie Tan: This is my first big step in racing, there were no baby steps in-between, so it is a significant change for me. I appreciate this opportunity.

CN: Tell us about your background in sport?

CT: I've always been very active in sports since I was young. I played netball for nine years and then transitioned into dragon boating for three years, and then triathlons for seven years. I decided to do something different when our federation in Singapore was trying to recruit national cyclists, so I thought I would give it a shot. They invited me to join the national team in 2018, which was the first year that I became a proper cyclist.

Singapore is so small, and the cycling community is a small handful of athletes. The national team publicized that they were recruiting on social media, asking if anyone was up for it to come and try out. It was a basic protocol that included power testing. From there, they see how your numbers fell into the criteria. For women, to meet the criteria, it was 5 w/kg for four-minute tests, which is higher now.

CN: Did you already have a background in power testing through triathlons?

CT: Yes, triathlon helped me in the all-out efforts, and it helped in pacing myself because triathlons are all about personal bests and how you want to beat your previous records and pacing yourself to achieve that. 

I was an age-grouper focusing on longer distances, such as full Ironman. I qualified and did several 70.3 World Championships. In 2015, I did my first Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, in the 25-29 group. It was a great experience and fascinating because you go there at your best and want to know where you stand among the elites.

CN: Since joining the Singapore national team, have you dedicated your career to professional cycling?

CT: Yes, ever since I took that responsibility to be part of the national team, I have foregone running and swimming to purely focus on road racing. 

I have never done track racing, but I have trained in the Velodrome. I focus on road racing, and it depends on the courses, but I have done the time trials championships in Singapore and some road races. Pre-COVID, if I got in a good five or six races in a year, we were lucky. It is not a lot if you compare our calendar to the European calendar. 

I'm unsure what my strengths are, and I'm still searching for my potential and developing. When I was racing in the Asian region, I was a punchy rider on little incline sprints, which suits me. I'm very petite at 45kg. On uphill climbs, I can sprint because I do a lot in the gym and have an instant boost or quick reaction. A good rolling course will suit me.

CN: How do you see yourself fitting into BikeExchange this year and what will your role be on the team?

CT: I'm still developing and clear on my role here. It is to help the team and to contribute as much as I can. At the same time, it is to develop myself into a better rider, observe, and learn a lot more. I want to help as a domestique and help the leaders win races. 

CN: What have your experiences been like inside the team so far?

CT: We had eight riders at the second camp. They are very friendly. During the first camp, we introduced ourselves. The director told us, 'what you see is what you get, and there was no hidden agenda behind anyone'. It was true. I fit in so well in this team. I'm a very outgoing and easygoing person, so I get along very well with everyone. Everyone is so true with themselves, and you see the truthfulness in everyone. During the rides, everyone is trying to teach me and to encourage me. My job is to sit in, do what I need to do, observe them and learn from them, but they give that extra pair of hands to teach me along the way. I am so grateful.

CN: What will be your first races with the team in Europe?

CT: I will start in Belgium at Le Samyn and do a few classics -four or five races - GP Oetingen, Drentse Acht van Westerveld and Trofeo Alfredo Binda, which is a lot compared to the racing I did in Singapore. The first three races are a nice way to lead up to the WorldTour race at Trofeo Alfredo Binda.

I'm very clear with my roles in the races. I'm there to support and learn because the DS says that I should enter the races without any expectations for at least the first two races to see my weaknesses and strengths. They know my background, and they are not demanding but very understanding. 

CN: Do you feel excited to begin?

CT: Yes, of course, not just about racing but the training. I have trained many hours before, but I've never ridden this amount of elevation. In Singapore, it is pan-cake flat. We rode 2,600metres of climbing in one day. I told my teammates that was my virgin elevation gain in one ride. I've had good exposure to training at the camps. I feel a sense of satisfaction because I have never done this before and I managed to conquer it with the team. It gives me a sign not to doubt myself. My body has adapted well to the training.

CN: Will you be living in Europe during the season?

CT: I'm based full-time in Girona; I will stay in Europe as long as the contract is there. I have a one-year contract, and this is a big step up from the national team into the WorldTour team. They will want to see what kind of rider I am and if I'm ready to take on this kind of challenge. Sometimes the mind says 'I want to be there,' but the body pushes you to the limits. I think it's a good situation for me to learn and realize my potential. If this year can give me an answer - 'Chelsie, you did your best, and this is where you are' - then I know it might be time to step back and enjoy cycling in general, but if I know that I have more potential and progression to make, then I will pursue it 100 per cent.