Within the two years since he received the British nationwide Omnium title, Oscar Nilsson-Julien has moved to France, switched racing nationality, and earned his spot within the nation’s observe biking squad for the Paris Olympics.
“It has been unbelievable,” he tells Biking Weekly contained in the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome. “We have in all probability one of the best lodging potential, in a fortress. We have nice cooks, nutritionists. I do not assume I’ve ever eaten so properly. And we have large gardens.
“[Julian] Alaphilippe, first day, comes up and sits subsequent to me at dinner and we simply chatted for a bit, and [Christophe] Laporte is admittedly humble. That was fairly cool. For them, they don’t care, however for me, these are guys I’ve watched on TV.”
Nilsson-Julien grew up in North London, born to a French-Swedish father (therefore the surname) and an English mom. As a toddler, he went to a bilingual college, and started using on the observe at Herne Hill Velodrome, the athlete manufacturing facility that boasts Fred Wright, Ethan Hayter and Tom Gloag amongst its alumni, when he was 9 years previous.
Later, as lots of the nation’s most promising cyclists do, he joined the British Biking academy programme, and moved to Manchester to coach.
“On the academy, it was tough, however I discovered what I needed to get out of biking,” the 22-year-old says. “It’s extremely structured. You solely have one coach, and you must hit these targets, nevertheless it forces you to dig deep and actually push your self. Should you win a gold medal with GB, it is anticipated. Should you win a gold medal with France, it is unbelievable.”
(Picture credit score: Allan McKenzie/SWpix)
In late 2022, after profitable a British nationwide observe title, the Londoner moved to the south of France to pursue a street profession with AVC Aix-en-Provence. At that time, switching nationality wasn’t on his thoughts. “I used to be discovering it robust to take pleasure in what I used to be doing, mainly. I wanted a change,” he says.
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Nilsson-Julien initially put a pin in his observe biking to concentrate on his street ambitions. Then, sooner or later, his coach put him in contact with the French nationwide workforce. “Florian Rousseau, the boss of the French federation, referred to as me up saying, ‘Do you need to swap?’ and I used to be like, ‘Yeah. I’ve received nothing to lose’,” he remembers.
Eighteen months on, the 22-year-old is now at a house Video games in Paris. He is a part of France’s squad as a reserve, an understudy for Benjamin Thomas, the nation’s new Omnium champion. Throughout the workforce, he says, there have been hints of mockery in direction of him.
“Typically they’re like, ‘Ah, however you are British’, as in, ‘You’ve got received a special tradition’. Not in a damaging manner, however in a humorous manner,” he says. “There are issues I will do this they will not get, like I will be very sarcastic, and so they will not all the time perceive my sarcasm.
“I positively really feel extra French now than I did earlier than. I really feel very French. I reside in France now, my French has progressed, and I’m absolutely bilingual. However I really feel each. I’ve all the time felt each. I do not really feel hooked up to both nation greater than the opposite. I like each cultures for various causes,” he says, including with a smile: “and I dislike each cultures for various causes.”
For the rest of this yr, Nilsson-Julien will experience with French Continental workforce Van Rysel-Roubaix as a stagiaire on the street. He is set to race the Tour of Britain subsequent month, earlier than his consideration turns to the Monitor World Championships, scheduled for October in Copenhagen, which is his “predominant aim” of the season.
(Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Since shifting to France two years in the past, life has been “manner happier”, Nilsson-Julien explains. Does he have any regrets about leaving the British Biking system? “There was a second after I needed to take a threat,” he says.
“I did not know what the French federation was like, both. It was resolution. It is put me right here. I’ve come second in a Nations Cup. I haven’t got any regrets, actually. The one factor you miss is the folks, the employees, the riders that you just get together with.
“It rains on a regular basis in Manchester, southern France is manner higher. It is sizzling on a regular basis, blue skies, and it barely rains.”
Now, with just some days remaining of the Olympics, the Londoner is set to be taught as a lot as he can from the expertise. “I am attempting to not get in the way in which of the blokes within the group,” he laughs. “I am simply attempting to have enjoyable and take in what I can do, in order that in 4 years, after I truly must race, I am not attempting to do issues I can not do.”
Come the Los Angeles Video games in 2028, Nilsson-Julien is perhaps standing on the rostrum, singing ‘La Marseillaise’ as a proud Frenchman, one which was born and raised in London.
