Olympic rowing champion Nathan Cohen has spent most of his life setting the pace but this time he’s only worried about not holding up his teammate.
That might sound odd for a two time world champion and Kiwi sporting cult hero but when that teammate is an All Blacks legend, turned experienced multisport competitor, by the name of Richie McCaw, you can see Cohen’s point.
They’ll easily be the most recognisable faces at the iconic start point of the Kathmandu Coast to Coast at Serpentine Beach, near Kumara Junction, on Friday morning, despite calling themselves weekend warriors.
McCaw, no stranger to the two day tandem event, will team up with first-timer Cohen, for the 243km race that traverses across the South Island to the finish line at New Brighton Beach.
Long time friends, the pair have done a lot of training together – including a recent ride with 2018 Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas – since their retirements and a casual conversation about the Coast to Coast has turned into this weekend’s adventure across the main divide.
“We just thought maybe we’ll do the tandem and we should be a reasonable match for each other, so that’s how it came together,” Cohen said.
“My goal is probably not to slow him down too much, that will be a good achievement,” he said with a laugh.
Cohen will be leaning on McCaw’s experience in the race and format but expects the pair will be able to work well together to manage their strengths and weaknesses and keep at an even pace.
“I wouldn’t say daunting [competing with McCaw] but he’s done the tandem four or five times now, so he’s pretty well versed in that category and he’s spent plenty of time in a double kayak as well.”
The tandem involves both competitors doing the entire course over two days together, staying within 50 metres of each other on the bike and run sections, while paddling the Waimakariri River leg together in a double kayak.
With Cohen still on the right side of 40, the pair will race in the open category, with McCaw having previously contested the over-40 veteran division.
Cohen, one half of New Zealand’s cult hero double sculls pairing – along with Joseph Sullivan – who came from fourth at the 1500 metre mark to scorch to the unlikeliest of gold medal victories in that unforgettable final in London back in 2012, has dabbled in mountain biking and off-road running since his retirement in 2013.
But his first crack at the 2.2km run, 55km cycle, 30.5km run up Goat Pass, 15km cycle, 70km kayak on the Waimakariri River and the final 70km cycle to New Brighton will be his biggest event so far.
“There’s been a few other events along the way that test you but I guess this is one of the more iconic ones,” he said.
“When you first finish being a full-time athlete the last thing you want to do is do more training but now it’s sort of gone full cycle and 10 years later it’s more your hobby and recreation.