Training on the bergs (Image credit: Jittery Joe's)
Learning a lot about 'Willo'
Australian Trent Wilson has spent the last two years in Europe with the Italian Selle Italia-Colombia squad, racing the Giro d'Italia twice. Selle Italia didn't renew his contract for the 2006 season and so Wilson began looking at other options - but not in the US until Jittery Joe's-Zero Gravity called. After a couple of conversations with the staff and Aussie neighbour Jeff Hopkins, Wilson was convinced this would be the right place for that next step in his career. Cyclingnews' Mark Zalewski spoke with 'Willo' at the 2006 team presentation.
Trent Wilson is known for his determination as much as for his unique sense of humour - which makes for a valuable teammate during the long cycling season. For the 2004 and 2005 seasons, Wilson was a domestique for the Selle Italia squad with good friend Russell Van Hout - gaining valuable experience and sacrificing his body in two editions of the Giro d'Italia. The news that the team was not renewing his and four other rider's contracts for this season was about as welcomed as one would imagine. "I was a bit disappointed with that because I rode my arse off for that team. I was on the 2005 Giro team and they kicked five of those guys out, basically saying, 'Thanks for your help making us bigger and better, see ya.'"
While Wilson was contemplating his next move, an unlikely call came from across the Atlantic to come race with a continental team in Georgia, of all places. "I looked at my other options and Jittery Joe's called me and asked if I wanted to come to America. I didn't really consider that an option until Micah Rice rang me, and I was pretty impressed with what he had to say. I was confident it was a good move to come here." Also convincing Wilson was the fact that Jittery Joe's-Zero Gravity has a healthy Australian contingent, including Sydney mate Jeff Hopkins. "I knew Hoppy had ridden for the team - he doesn't live far from me in Sydney, and after speaking with him he had good things to say, too."
