Having broken through with Team Argos-Shimano in 2013, the last 12 months have been even more memorable for Lucy Garner.
The 20-year-old became a key member of her Netherlands-based team, as well as playing a major role in helping Lizzie Armitstead to win Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow.
Now, Garner's attention has turned to 2015 and the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro beyond that and here, she has shared her aspirations with Sports Mole.
When you reflect on your performances throughout 2014, are you happy with the progress that you made?
"I'm really happy with the progress that I have made. The first year in professional cycling was tough. I was going into every single race with no real clue as to how I was going to do. However, doing as many races as I did in my first year has helped me this time around. I've been able to pick the races that I want to aim for. It's been a good two years of developing as a rider."
What attributes did you work on and improve over the year?
"I've done a lot with my sprinting. I was able to learn a lot from Kirsten Wild (Team Argos-Shimano teammate). She's one of the best road sprinters in the world at the moment. Being with her at the training camps, I was able to watch how she goes about things up close. Also, racing with her, I was the last lead out person, so you know when she needs to go. Also, with climbing, I'm still not amazing at it, but I'm getting there and training more and more for it."
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Is climbing perhaps something that you are keen to improve in 2015 then?
"It's one of those things that as a sprinter, it's always going to be hard to compete with the hill climbers. You don't really see that happening too often. On some of the courses that you'd call flat, there are actually some small climbs and those are the things that I need to start clearing without wasting too much energy. That's what I'm aiming to do and improve on."
Of course, you competed at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and helped Lizzie Armitstead to win her gold. How was that experience?
"It was amazing. The team got together really well. We race against each other throughout the season, but then we all came together and everyone was on form, which made for a great atmosphere. We wanted to get the gold for Lizzie and were concentrating fully on that. To get the gold and silver was just incredible. The racing went really well and the team did exactly what they needed to so Lizzie could finish it off amazingly well."
You had some time off at the end of the season, but have you already started training again ahead of the 2015 campaign?
"I had three weeks off in October and have recently returned to training. It's just base miles at the moment, nothing really too intensive. My first training camp will be in January in Spain with the team and things will step up more then."
Are there any major races that you're hoping to compete in during 2015?
"I've not had my main race programme through yet, but I will be the main sprinter next season. The races that I will be riding in will be more specific to what I can do. It will be more flat races, with the first one on the calender being Qatar. I'll be going there and that's one race that I really want to do well in. It's early on in the season, but it's pan-flat and over some shorter distances. There's also a few classic races that I'd love to do well in."
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As you mention, with Wild having moved on, you'll be Team Argos-Shimano's main sprinter. How much did you learn from someone of Wild's ability and experience?
"I did learn a lot from her. In a way it's hard to have two sprinters in a team. I was developing, so it was good to have someone like her to learn from, especially with how she commits to the finishing kilometres. For next year, with Kirsten now gone, it's really good that I can compete in some of the races that I missed out on this year. I can go for more wins. We've got a young team, but we've got plenty of potential and are determined to get some good results."
Despite it being almost two years away, people are already thinking about the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. What would it mean to represent Great Britain out there?
"It would be amazing. Ever since I was a kid, getting to the Olympics is all that I wanted to do. It's on my mind, but it's going to be a hilly course [in Rio]. Luckily, I've still got two seasons of racing before that so I can improve my climbing. I just hope that I can get there and help out because I know that it's going to be a good course for Lizzie and she's going to need the best team around her to help her get the gold she will be hoping for."
You talk of helping Lizzie to win gold, but how easy is it to do that, knowing that you will not be winning gold yourself? Is hard to get in the right mindset?
"For me, I find it quite easy. Throughout my whole cycling career, I've always been with a team. I've done plenty of work on the track, which was team pursuit. As a sprinter, I really appreciate everyone wanting to help me. I know how important it is because having a good team is the difference between coming first and second. That's why I like to work as a part of team, particularly on a course that is not going to be realistically possible for me to medal in. Hopefully it's Lizzie that gets the gold and that I can play a part."
With regards to Team GB's cycling squad, technical director Shane Sutton recently admitted that there had been some complacency among the riders. With youngsters like yourself coming through, does that help to keep things fresh and minds concentrated?
"With the road cycling, it's certainly getting bigger. After the Worlds, you can see that Anna Christian is coming through. She gave such a strong performance even though there won't have been many people that had heard that much about her. She performed beyond expectations and we have a lot of riders like that coming through. It's really important that they get the chance to race internationally to get that experience."
You're also a part of the Sky Academy Sports Scholarship scheme. How beneficial is that to you?
"Living in Holland, it's not always easy. I've got a mentor, which is good because it's nice to speak to someone else that has experienced the sort of things that I'm going through. I can speak to someone outside of cycling to get their viewpoint. The scholarship is developing me and helping to prepare for Rio."
Lucy Garner is supported by the Sky Academy Sports Scholarships scheme, helping 11 young athletes fulfil their potential with tailored support including funding and mentoring - http://www.skysports.com/scholarships.
Liam Apicella
