Sam Gaze on his mountain bike world titles, depression, and joining Alpecin-Deceuninck

In 2014, Sam Gaze was a privateering teenager from a rural farming town in New Zealand when he took the men's title in the opening round of an eliminator World Cup in Cairns, Australia. With this breakout ride, he caught the eye of Specialized Racing and relocated to Europe, where he went on to claim five world titles, including U23 World Champion and Elite Marathon and Short Track World Champion. He now races for UCI team Alpecin–Deceuninck where he competes in the WorldTour as well as the World Cup. 

Payson sat down with Sam in Girona to talk about breaking Nino Schurter’s record-setting winning streak in the opening round of the 2018 World Cup, being mentored by Christoph Sauser, and how winning the World Championship in 2016 with his dad at the finish was the best day of his life. But they also discuss the low points, such as the infamous moment at the 2018 Commonwealth Games when his spur-of-the-moment reaction toward an opponent sparked a media frenzy. The experience intensified his ongoing struggle with depression and caused him to take a hiatus from cycling for much of 2019. In the end, it took medical advice and some encouragement from friend and former opponent, Mathieu van der Poel, to bring him back. Sam talks about his experience with depression, racing with Alpecin, and setting his sights on the Paris Olympics.

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